Out of Character
by britishsconesahoy
Summary: Enji Todoroki is hit with a possession quirk shortly before he marries Rei and is forced to sit back and watch as his possessor abuses his wife and children for over 20 years. Sometimes he's able to overpower his possessor for a bit, leading to some awkward interactions with his family members. But when Enji finally gets his body and life back, how will the Todoroki family react?
1. Chapter 1

**So this is my first BNHA fanfic. I'm obsessed with this series right now and I knew I had to write something for it. I also just love the Todoroki family! Like a lot!**

**So just for a frame of reference, this is set in August, after the whole Bakugo kidnapping thing and right before the dorms. Also, this story is going to be taking place in like two different timelines, so I need to assign years to some scenes to prevent confusion. I don't know what year the anime/manga is set in but for this story's purposes, I'm setting it in 2018.**

**The first chapter has scenes from two different years. The first scene is dated but the second scene isn't which means it's set in the current time which means August 2018. Got all that? Great! Any questions just let me know :D**

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**Shizuoka Shimbum**

12 October 1992

_**Pro Hero "Body Snatcher" Disappears During Patrol In Yaizu**_

_by Nakano Takeshi_

_YAIZU. On Wednesday night, October 11th, the nineteen year old Pro Hero "Body Snatcher" disappeared while on patrol in the city of Yaizu in Shizuoka Prefecture. He was working along with another up and coming Pro Hero, "Endeavor," when he seemingly vanished while the two were split up and failed to return to their meeting point. When questioned, Endeavor responded that he "didn't hear or see anything unusual that night." The nineteen year old claimed that he "searched through most of the city after Body Snatcher didn't come back and there was nothing. No villains and nothing suspicious or out of the ordinary."_

_Body Snatcher, otherwise known as Yamazaki Ryuunosuke, is a nineteen year old Pro Hero employed by the Kosemaru Hero Agency. He graduated from the U.A. High School Heroics Department just last year, though he hasn't made any of the Hero Billboard Charts yet in Japan. His quirk is called "Possession" and by consuming someone's DNA, he can "possess" their mind and body though it puts his own body into a comatose state. Body Snatcher mostly works covert missions and is highly valuable when it comes to gaining intel on villains and other enemies due to his ability to easily infiltrate villain organizations by taking over the bodies of their members._

_Body Snatcher was last seen in Yaizu, Shizuoka on Wednesday, October 11th at 9:34 P.M. If anyone has any information on his whereabouts, please contact the Yaizu Police Department as soon as possible._

###

Shouto stands a few feet away from the open doorway leading into the living room. He's eavesdropped on plenty of conversations in there in the past, so he knows exactly which spots are hidden from everyone's view, especially his father's. He silnces his breathing as best as he could as he hears his father's heavy footsteps walking across the room and stopping in front of what Shouto assumes is the white armchair he always chooses to sit it. He doesn't have to imagine what the rest of the room looks like as Shouto got a quick glimpse of his teachers, Aizawa and All Might, seating themselves on the couch before his father shooed him out of the room, telling him to go upstairs where he was bound to hear nothing.

If it were anyone else, Shouto would likely obey and head to his bedroom, but these are his _teachers!_ His teachers from U.A. are sitting in his living room so they can try and convince his father to allow his pride and joy, his _masterpiece_, dorm at the school for the rest of the semester. There is no way he's missing this!

_He's never going to allow it_. Shouto wants to laugh at the seemingly impossible possibility of it, but he doesn't want to risk blowing his cover and missing this once in a lifetime source of entertainment. He can't wait to hear what excuses his father comes up with for why he can't move out of the family home and dorm with the rest of his classmates. He feels bad for Aizawa and All Might, but Shouto is still going to find this funny.

He can feel the tension rising in the room next door- or maybe it's just the heat from his father's flames that he insists on keeping on- but whatever it is, Shouto smiles because this is going to be the highlight of his week, maybe his month. He can't wait to tell Midoriya the ridiculous reason for why he can't dorm with the rest of them. He knows Midoriya will be angry and will probably want to organize a protest against his father's decision but even so, Shouto can't find it in himself to be upset about his father's obvious refusal to let him leave because he's always figured that moving out from behind his father's shadow was always going to be out of the question.

"Endeavor, I'm assuming you know why we're here."

That's definitely Aizawa, cutting right to the chase. It's what Shouto admires the most about his homeroom teacher. He could never understand why people prefer to engage in an hour of useless small talk before getting to the whole point of the conversation. People would have much more free time if they just ditched all that needless chatter.

"I do. I read the letter."

Of course he did.

"And?"

Here it comes, here it comes!

"I think it's a great idea and I'm going to allow Shouto to dorm."

He knew it! He knew- wait, _what?_

Shouto has to stop himself from running into the living room and asking his father to repeat what he just said. Did he really just say _yes?_ Did he really just agree to send him to the dorms? To allow him to step out from behind his shadow?

Impossible!

"Well, that's a surprise!" He could hear All Might laugh. "We honestly thought you'd say no."

"And why would I say that?"

To think his father had the audacity to sound confused at that assumption. He is playing around, right? Any minute now he'll reveal he is actually lying and is against the whole idea. There's no way this is his father's actual opinion, Shouto knows that. It's completely out of character.

"Forget it." Aizawa says, probably in an attempt to close the conversation before Endeavor can change his mind. "We're glad you're on board with this. We just wanted to ask all the parents in person so we could reassure any doubts about it. Do you have any questions or are we done here?"

"Nope. No questions at all." His father replies and all Shouto can do is just stand there frozen as his brain tries to comprehend the incomprehensible words spewing out of Endeavor's mouth. "Honestly, I'm surprised U.A. hasn't implemented this sooner."

"Yes, well, the whole kidnapping incident forced us to up our game." All Might says, or Shouto thinks it's All Might. He's still trying to wrap his around this huge plot twist that he clearly didn't see coming.

"Of course, that was a terrible thing to have occured." It's like his father doesn't even remember how annoyed he was at the whole ordeal just because he had to take orders from other people. "Fortunately, everything turned out okay though. However, that doesn't mean things will workout in our favor everytime, so I think these dorming arrangements will provide a strong safety barrier against anything like this happening again. After all, I worry very much about my son's safety and well-being."

_He cares about my what?!_ What the hell is his father doing?! Everything he's saying right now is a lie, a very good lie for those who don't really know him, but Shouto can see right through it. What does he mean by "he worries very much about his son's safety and well-being?" He obviously doesn't because if he did, then he wouldn't have trained him so hard all these years.

He's dreaming, right? It's the only explanation Shouto can think of!

"Well then, seeing as this is all settled, All Might and I should be going. We appreciate you giving us your time, Endeavor."

"You're my son's teacher, Eraserhead, it would be in my best interest to hear what you have to say."

Shouto maintains his stillness as his father leads his teachers out of the house. _It's all a dream._ He keeps telling himself. _A very wishful dream, but still just a dream. I'm gonna wake up any second now._

"Shouto, I thought I told you to go upstairs."

Damnit! It's not a dream and now his father just caught him disobeying orders. Shouto sighs silently- he was hoping for a peaceful night.

"You did." Shouto confirms, turning slowly to face his father. "And I apologize for not doing as you told me to."

The last part comes out in a rushed slur and Shouto braces himself for an incoming blow. He hasn't even looked him in the eye yet, opting to focus his gaze on his father's flaming boots instead. Honestly, why did his father insist on keeping them ablaze all the time? Who was he trying to intimidate anyway? All Might was the only one he had a real disliking towards so why did he feel the need to prove his power to everyone else. Speaking of All Might, how had his father managed to stay so polite towards him that whole time? What was going on with him today?

"I assumed you'd try and listen in. After all, it's not everyday that your teachers make a house call."

Shouto's eyes dart up when his father begins to laugh, a real, genuine laugh. His default scowl and glare are gone and for a second, Shouto starts to wonder if maybe there actually is a soul in his father's seemingly empty shell of a human.

Shouto can only stare in confusion as his father's face softens in that way it so rarely does, so much so that Shouto can count on his fingers how many times it's happened. He wants to make a run for it because his father is obviously going crazy, or crazier, but at the same time he doesn't because these moments are the only evidence that his father might just actually see him as a person, as his _child_.

But, as Shouto knows, these moments are just that; moments. Little, fleeting seconds of bliss. They disappear so fast that sometimes he doesn't even realize they were there at all. This awful truth sinks in as Shouto watches in disappointment as his father's face hardens again, his expression resetting back to default. He cowards slightly as his father's glare falls upon him, he's always unsure of what to expect in these moments of transition.

"Go to your room like you were supposed to. If I catch you doing this again, there will be consequences."

"Yes, Dad."

Shouto waits until his father turns to leave. He watches his back for a few seconds, wondering about his rare mood swings. He knows he's not the only one to have witnessed it, Fuyumi and Natsuo bring it up sometimes. He wonders, has his Mom ever seen it? Maybe she knows something they don't?

Shouto shook his head and turned to go upstairs. _Just wishful thinking, again._ His father isn't changing. He just needs to accept that his family is dysfunctional and that's how it will always be.

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**So, what did you all think? Should I continue this? Let me know your thoughts in the comments. Feedback is greatly appreciated! **

**Thanks for reading!**

**-britishsconesahoy **


	2. Chapter 2

**So I got a lot more feedback than I thought I would and enough of you seem interested so I'll continue this! Thank you all for your follows and reviews! They mean a lot! **

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This is not good. His time now with Shouto is pivotal seeing as his mission is almost complete and of course, Enji had to just go ahead and push the boy out of his reach.

"Why the hell did you do that, Enji?!"

If anyone were to be in his office at the time, they would have thought he was scolding himself. However, they don't hear the voice that always responds to Ryuunosuke when he shouts that name.

_"You mean, why the hell did I use all my might to overpower you so I could take the chance to get my son away from you and prevent you from hurting him anymore? Oh, I don't know. Maybe because he's my __**son**__ and as his __**father**__ I can't bear to watch you torture him!" _

"It's not _torture_, first of all. Honestly, I think you're being a bit dramatic there-"

_"Dramatic?! You-"_

"Hold on a second- I wasn't done talking." Ryuunosuke waits a second and once satisfied with Enji's silence, he continues. "It is important that I train him to his utmost potential. He needs to become the perfect weapon. If anything, you should be proud, Enji. You're _son_, as you so lovingly call him, is gonna change the world! I always knew you and Rei would make some powerful children together, but this dual quirk was totally unexpected. Sure, it took three failed experiments until we got the perfect product, but I think it was worth it, don't you?"

_"Do __**not**__ call my children experiments!" _

Ryuunosuke puts a hand to his head as he plops down in the desk chair. Talking with Enji always exhausts him, but his quirk can't shut him off, much to his dismay. "It's simply a choice of words, Enji. I refer to them as experiments, you refer to them as children, though, I should probably remind you that I was the one possessing this body when those _children_ of yours were conceived. The decision to have them wasn't even yours, so technically they belong to me."

_"I don't care if you were possessing my body. You still raped my wife!"_

"It's not rape if she consented to it."

_"You misled her. If she knew what was going on, she never would have consented to it. And after Touya, none of those were real consent anyway. She only submitted out of fear and you know it."_

"Fine, I raped her. Are you satisfied? Will you give it a rest now?"

_"I won't give it a rest until I get my body back and you're rotting in hell."_

Ryuunosuke lets out a low laugh. "You talk as if that will actually happen. Well, I hate to break it to you, old friend, but you're never getting this body back. And don't think I forgot how you just sabotaged my plans. Your punishment for that will come soon enough, Todoroki Enji."

###

"Shouto? Can I come in?" Fuyumi asks as she knocks on the closed bedroom door. She hears a quiet "yes" come from the other side and lets herself in.

"Shouto! I'm so sorry I couldn't be there when your teachers came." Fuyumi says, sitting down on the edge of her brother's bed as he looks up from his phone. "I tried to talk to Dad beforehand, I really did, but you know how he is. He was totally against the whole thing and I didn't know what to say to change his mind. I thought that maybe if I was there when your teachers showed up, it would be easier for me to convince him, but I got stuck in traffic on the way home- there was this huge car crash, it was crazy. You should have seen it, Shouto- and then I missed the whole thing! I'm so sorry, maybe there's still something I can do-"

"Fuyumi, what are you talking about?"

Fuyumi pauses her rambling to take a closer look at her brother. Shouto is staring at her as if he doesn't understand a word of Japanese. Did their father's refusal upset him so bad that he is choosing to forget about it all together? She really should've been there. "What do you mean? Don't you remember the letter from your school about the new dorming system?"

"Yes."

_Well, at least he remembers it_. Fuyumi thinks as she continues to wonder what Shouto doesn't understand about what she just said. "Okay, well, when Dad first read the letter he told me he wouldn't allow it and that there was no need for you to dorm at U.A. because "you already live with a pro hero." So I tried to change his mind, but he's pretty stubborn, you know?"

"He told you he wasn't going to let me dorm?"

"Yeah, why? What happened at the meeting?"

Shouto's phone buzzes and he looks down at the device. "He said I can go."

For a second, Fuyumi thinks Shouto is joking around with her but then she remembers that her little brother doesn't joke. "Wait, he said you can move out and dorm at U.A?"

"Yes."

Shouto doesn't look up from his phone, busy reading whatever message he just recieved. She really should scold him for not giving her his full attention when she's trying to have a serious conversation with him, but there was a time not too long ago that the only messages Shouto recieved were from her along with the occasional message from Natsuo. Seeing her brother texting people outside their family warms her heart because it means he has friends now, other people his age to talk to and interact with. It's one of the few normal teenage things he does now and Fuyumi couldn't bear to take that away from him, so she lets him continue.

"Really? That's great, Shouto! I'm so happy for you."

She really means that. She knows how hard it would be for him if the rest of his classmates all got to dorm and he had to stay at home. This is also the opportunity she had been waiting for, the chance for Shouto to finally get out of this house and live his own life. Granted, he's still just a teenager and doesn't have full control of his life just yet, but this is definitely a start. Oh, she can't wait to tell Natsuo the good news!

"I don't know why he agreed though, especially given what you said happened earlier." Shouto wonders out loud, putting his phone down. Is he not going to respond to whomever just messaged him? "He was acting really strange the whole time, even after Aizawa and All Might left."

Fuyumi looks down at the floor while her hands move to fumble with the buttons on her shirt. Shouto doesn't have to elaborate anymore, she knows what he's referring to; the rare and spontaneous mood swings their father sometimes has. Honestly, she didn't even know if Shouto ever experienced or noticed it. She's talked about it with Natsuo a few times before, even with Touya before he ran off, but for some reason they just never brought it up around Shouto. Shows what she knows about her little brother.

"You've seen it too?" She asks, lifting his eyes back up to meet his gaze. "The mood swings, I mean."

Shouto nods. "It doesn't happen very often though and usually not as long as it did today except for that one time..."

Fuyumi stays silent as her brother trails off, unsure if he plans on finishing his thought. His silence soon meets her own though, so she figures he's not going to elaborate. She's disappointed, curious as to what Shouto experienced, but she respects his privacy on the matter. This a difficult topic to discuss, Fuyumi knows, and sometimes it's easier to just not talk about it at all.

"Well, whatever the reason for his change of mind, let's just be glad it happened." She says, breaking the silence and trying to turn the uncomfortable conversation in a different, and less difficult direction. "Why don't I make soba for dinner to celebrate?"

Shouto's looking down at his phone again, his eyes appearing to be rereading whatever text message he had gotten before. "Sure. That sounds good."

Fuyumi is ecstatic right now due to the recent turn in events and she wants to assume that Shouto feels the same, but honestly she can't tell. She knows her little brother doesn't show much emotion despite whether he's angry, sad, or internally jumping for joy, but she wishes he'd show her something right now. Any hint that he was truly happy about moving out of the house.

"Shouto?" She says, watching carefully for any signs of emotion. "You are happy about this, right?"

Shouto looks up from his phone and stares at her hard. It's not long before a small smile graces his lips. "Yes, Fuyumi. I'm very happy."

Fuyumi sighs in relief and returns the smile. "Good. I'll go start making dinner." She gets up from the bed and starts for the door.

"Fuyumi?"

She pauses as she turns back to face her brother. "Yes, Shouto?"

"Now that I'm moving out, are you going to leave too?"

Fuyumi frowns at her brother's question. As much as she wants to get out of this house and away from her father, she knows the dorms are only a second home away from home. Shouto isn't leaving for good just yet which means neither is she. She can't tell him that though, he'll think it's his fault which it isn't. This is her choice, not his.

"No, Shouto." She responds, her voice going quiet. "You'll still be coming home for breaks and sometimes for the weekends, so I want to be here when you do."

She sees Shouto is about to object, but she interjects before he can say anything. "This is my decision, not yours. I'm staying here, Shouto. Okay?"

It takes a few seconds, but Shouto eventually nods in agreement. Fuyumi gives him another smile before heading out of the room and towards the kitchen to make the soba.

On the way, she pulls out her phone and sends a text to Natsuo telling him to call her when he gets the chance so she can tell him the news. He's supposed to be on break now too but decided to take some summer classes to "get his degree quicker." Fuyumi knows the truth though. Her brother doesn't want to come back to the house and if that means forfeiting his summer break, then he'll do it.

Fuyumi pockets her phone as she enters the kitchen. She found this new soba recipe a few weeks ago that she wants to try out. It's a bit more work than the other recipes, but she's willing to put in the extra time for this occasion. It's not everyday that good things happen in this dysfunctional household of hers and she's learned to cherish each and every one.

###

As Fuyumi leaves the room, Shouto looks back down at his phone. Midoriya had texted him, but he didn't want to be rude to his sister and text him back while she was talking to him. He tried to ignore it and focus on the conversation but his eyes just kept relocating back to that text message.

Shouto has never had any friends before and while he isn't sure if Midoriya actually considers him a friend, it feels nice that they're acquainted enough to text each other. Shouto has never actually texted Midoriya first, it's always the other way around, but Shouto finds that he likes it and maybe one day he'll find the courage to message Midoriya first.

**Midoriya**: _hey todoroki! how's ur summer break going? can't believe its almost over! are u gonna be moving in to the dorms next week?! i am and i'm so excited! it's gonna be so much fun!_

The first thing Shouto noticed when Midoriya first started texting him was the unnecessary amount of exclamation points he uses. He found it annoying at first but the more he got to know Midoriya, the more his overuse of exclamation points made sense. It fit his personality and way of speech, so much so that Shouto could almost hear his voice saying that message.

**Todoroki**: _Hi, Midoriya. My summer break's going fine, I guess. I'm moving to the dorms next week too._

If Midoriya were to ask him that earlier, Shouto would have assumed he wouldn't be. But sometimes the unexpected happens and while Shouto normally isn't one for surprises, he thinks he can deal with this one.

**Midoriya**: _todoroki that's great! i'm so happy! i got nervous and thought your dad might have said no. my mom almost did but lucky all might was there to change her mind. this is gonna be so cool!_

So Midoriya has a helicopter parent as well? Perhaps they do have something in common, though Shouto has no doubt that his mother's hovering is purely out of love and pure concern for her son, unlike his own father. Of course, Shouto can't forget what he had overheard earlier. He doesn't know what that was, but he knows he can't take it at face value no matter how much he wants to. He doesn't need to confuse himself more than he already is.

He's not going to waste his time and energy trying to decipher his father's temporary change in behavior. He doesn't need to interpret what his father's words meant. Besides, actions were always more important to Shouto. They show much more about a person that any words can. If he's going to take anything to heart, it will be his father's actions rather than his words and speaking of the devil...

"Shouto!"

Shouto looked up from his phone to see his father standing in the doorway, his face set into his default scowl.

"Yes?"

"I'm going out for a bit, but I'll be back after dinner. When I get home, we're having a training session. Be ready."

Shouto doesn't have any time to react as Enji hurries out of his room and heads downstairs. Looking back down at his phone, Shouto's eyes fall back upon Midoriya's last message. As much as he likes when Midoriya talks to him, Shouto isn't always in the mood to talk. With this sudden training session thrown at him, Shouto's lost his interest in keeping up his conversation with Midoriya.

**Todoroki**: _I have to go now. I'll see you next week, Midoriya._

**Midoriya**: _aww, fine. see you next week todoroki! enjoy the rest of your break!_

Shouto shuts off his phone after reading Midoriya's last message. "Enjoy the rest of your break" is what he said. Shouto wishes he could, but something tells him he'll be counting the days until it's over with mild impatience. It's only a few more days but to Shouto, it feels like so much longer. He thinks after enduring all this for fifteen years, a few more days would be nothing, but apparently not.

These next few days were going to be the longest few days of his life.

###

Fuyumi hums quietly to herself as she cooks. It's been a while since she's felt this happy, though she has no doubt it's been longer for Shouto. She almost wants to go and thank her father for changing his mind, but she doesn't want to risk anything. Besides, does he even deserve a thanks?

Speaking of her father, Fuyumi hears him coming down the stairs. She peers out of the kitchen doorway from her spot at the counter and sees him dressed in casual clothing. He makes his way to the front door and starts putting on his shoes.

"Hey, Dad." She calls as he opens the door. "Are you going out? Dinner's almost ready."

"I'll be missing dinner. I have to go take care of a few things. I'll be back soon."

Fuyumi opens her mouth to say goodbye but Enji is already out the door before she can find her voice.

* * *

**And that is the second chapter. I'll try to get the next one out within the next week, possibly sooner.**

**So what did you think? I know you all probably have lots of question which will all (hopefully) be answered in due time. If you do have any questions that you want to ask or if you have things you're confused about, please ask and I will do my best to respond to you!**

**Also, I'm trying really hard to get the characterizations right (except for Enji, of course) so let me know how I did. And as a side note, I love platonic tododeku so I might just be exploring that a bit here :D**

**Anyway, thanks for reading and feedback is always appreciated!**

**-britishsconesahoy**


	3. Chapter 3

**A few quick things: I noticed I forgot to fix a change I had made before posting the first chapter. Basically, instead of the newspaper article taking place October 1992, it was July 1991. I'll fix it when I get a chance later.**

**Also- Dabi is a Todoroki in this! I forgot this site doesn't use tags like how I did on AO3 so I apologize for not mentioning that sooner.**

* * *

Dabi stands outside the brick building that houses the new League of Villains' headquarters. With their bar in Kamino being destroyed during All For One's battle with All Might, the League of Villains were forced to find a new location.

Shigaraki handled the search and it was only with pure luck that he managed to track down a villain who had formerly been affiliated with the League and request to designate the vacant apartment above his unsuccessful pastry shop as their new official headquarters. Seeing as both parties are fugitives, there is an unspoken agreement that none will rat the other out.

They aren't hiding in Yokohama anymore, rather they're in the city of Atsugi about twenty-five miles west from their former location. Shigaraki insists that they remain in an urban setting and while Dabi understands the strategic advantages to it, he still finds it unnerving how there is only a sliver of empty space between this narrow two-story pastry shop and the two apartment buildings flanking each side.

Dabi peers out of the oversized hood of his jacket at the little boy kicking a soccer ball in front of the apartment building on the right side. If only he knew about his new next door neighbors. Now, _that_ would make an interesting story to tell all the kids back at school.

Shigaraki and the others have been hiding here for the last couple of weeks since the destruction of their former headquarters and the imprisonment of All For One, but this is the first time Dabi has ever layed eyes on the building. After the loss of All For One, who doubled as the League's only major resource, Dabi took some time off to reevaluate how the League of Villains could be of use to him in pulling off the long overdue downfall of a certain pro hero, especially now that they had been largely downgraded.

A clap of thunder causes Dabi to shift his gaze up to the sky where an army of dark clouds move to block the sun. A few drops of rain begin to fall and the little boy grabs his soccer ball and hurries into the apartment building next door. Dabi still isn't even sure if he wants to return to the League, but he isn't either in the mood to make the thirty minute trek back to his apartment in the pouring rain. Another clap of thunder rattles the air and with a groan, Dabi yanks open the door and hurries upstairs.

He can feel everyone's eyes on him even before he steps through the door. The room proceeds to go silent, leaving just the sound of rain hitting the windows and the occasional rumble of thunder. Twice is the first to greet him.

"Dabi, about time you showed up and just in time too!"

"Just in time for what?" Dabi's eyes settle upon an unfamiliar face sitting amongst the members of the League. _Did they recruit some new members while I was gone?_ "Who's he?"

"We have an uninvited guest joining us today." Shigaraki responds, gesturing to the man sitting across from them. "He was just about to introduce himself."

So not recruits. _Should've known I was the only one actually doing things around here_. Dabi folds his arms and leans against the wall behind where Twice and Toga are seated. Shigaraki turns to their "uninvited guest."

"This is all of us, then. Now, would you care to tell us who you are and why you're so insistent on meeting with the League of Villains?"

Dabi gives their guest a once-over and it takes a lot of effort to keep himself from snorting out loud. His appearance is atrocious and with Dabi's appearance being the way it is, he thinks he's allowed to say that.

To put it simply, the man is dressed like a puppet. He is decked in a suit with a red bow tie and a top hat. His face makeup is the real deal with his dark rimmed eyes, thicker than normal eyebrows, black outlining his jaw and a pink tinge to his cheeks which Dabi wants to think aren't natural but they look too real for him to believe otherwise. He's curious as to whether he reapplies it everyday because there's just no way that stuff is permanent, unless...nevermind. Tattooing your face as a puppet is a bit too weird, even for Dabi.

"You can call me the 'Puppeteer.'" He says, gesturing with his hands. "I'm the leader of the Born-to-Be Villains Alliance, or for short, the BtB. We're an organization for people whose quirks are looked down upon as being villainous by society and as such, eventually come to take it to heart."

"And why should we care?" Shigaraki asks in that bored tone of his. If there's one thing Dabi has learned about Shigaraki, it's that he does not play well with others.

"Well, Shigaraki Tomura, I think you might be interested in the fact that we are employed by All For One and seeing that he's in prison now and you're his successor, that makes you our boss, that is, if you can continue to pay us."

The Puppeteer clearly doesn't understand how the League's finances work because without All For One, they're broke. Looking at Shigaraki though, Dabi guesses he's not going to let him in on that little secret just yet. He wants to hear what their connection to All For One is and what they're being hired to do.

"And what would I be paying you to do, exactly?" Shigaraki asks, proving Dabi's prediction correct.

The Puppeteer smiles, his face paint making it look all the more maniacal. "During the 1980's, All For One began conducting experiments in quirk breeding. His ultimate goal was to find a male and female each with a powerful quirk who would produce a child with a stronger and even more powerful quirk. This child's quirk would then be trained to become even stronger and make him a worthy successor for All For One."

_Quirk breeding._ Those words make Dabi want to vomit. It doesn't surprise him that All For One's ambitions sound almost identical to Endeavor's. The man who most of society deems a hero is nothing more than a villain in Dabi's eyes.

However, the fact that All For One is involved in quirk breeding- in creating children for the sole purpose of being his tools- tarnishes the villain's reputation in Dabi's opinion. When he first joined the League of Villains, Dabi hadn't been quite sure what he thought of All For One. While it is obvious he disapproves of modern hero society, Dabi has always had a sneaking suspicion that his disapproval lies not so much in the society's flaws, but rather in his own selfish need for power. This whole scheme to create a worthy successor doesn't do much to debunk Dabi's theory. If he's correct, then perhaps his ideals don't match up with those of the League.

"Sensei chose me to become his successor though." Shigaraki says and Dabi can hear the jealousy in his voice. "So I'm assuming he never got the child he wanted."

"On the contrary, we've been training this child for the past fifteen years." The Puppeteer says, as if it's an achievement to be proud of. Dabi wants to wipe that ridiculous makeup off his smug face. "When All For One first started this, he hired the BtB to find people who's quirks could be useful to him. Most of you weren't even born yet, so I doubt you'd know of the string of kidnappings that happened across Japan in the late 1980's and early 90's."

Dabi can't recall the story though it makes sense seeing as he was born in 1992. He knows Shigaraki and Spinner are in their twenties as well, so it's unlikely they know what the Puppeteer is talking about either. Toga for sure has no knowledge of it given her young age. That just leaves Twice and Mr. Compress, the only members who were born before that time.

"I was still pretty young," Twice says. "but I can remember something of the sort going on at the time."

"I recall it as well." Mr. Compress agrees. "If I'm remembering correctly, only one person was rescued. The others were never found."

"Ah, yes." The Puppeteer says. "That one girl who the heroes managed to take from us. Unknown to them though, her rescue was actually the catalyst for our success with this child."

Shigaraki narrows his eyes. "But she was rescued. How could she be of use to you?"

"That's when we altered our methods of operation." The Puppeteer explains. "You see, this girl, who had an incredibly strong quirk, was to later become engaged to a powerful up and coming pro hero. Around the same time, our organization got a new member. He had a possession quirk and could possess the body of anyone who's DNA he consumed.

"He was able to possess the pro hero this girl was engaged to and he then proceeded to have children with her. One of these children inherited the powerful quirk All For One had wanted and since his quirk manifested about ten years ago, this member has been training him while hiding under the guise of his father. However, when he possesses someone, his own body goes into a coma. So for the past twenty-six years, we've been keeping his body alive. Now, if you agree to continue giving us support for this operation, then the child is all yours."

_An incredibly strong quirk..._

Dabi tries to ignore the image of his mother manifesting in front of him, but the memory it's bringing back is magnetic. He can't seem to look away from the ice shooting from his mother's fingertips. He recalls it well, the time Rei once demonstrated to him her power. He was a little boy at the time, a mere four years of age. He had asked her about her quirk out of curiosity, and being the kind woman she was, she showed it to him.

_Engaged to a powerful up and coming pro hero..._

He hadn't known at the time just how much she resented using her quirk. After she married Enji and saw what he really wanted her for, she had vowed to never use her quirk again. That's what she had told him once he was a bit older.

_He had children with her..._

Dabi remembers when each of his siblings were born. He also remembers how depressed his mother looked each time she told him she was pregnant. When she was pregnant with Natsuo, he asked her why she kept having more children if it made her so sad. She just smiled at him and told him she loved him and each of his siblings. It wasn't until she was pregnant with Shouto that he finally understood.

_One of these children inherited the powerful quirk._

Rei cried when Shouto was born. She tried to hide her tears when Dabi came to visit the hospital, but he saw them. He didn't need to ask why she was crying because when his eyes caught sight of the baby in his mother's arms with the dual colored hair and the mismatched eyes, he felt like crying too.

Dabi shakes his head and tries to stop the memories flooding his vision, but he can't. It all aligns too much and there's a voice in his head screaming at him to reconsider, to stop his denial.

But he can't reconsider because it isn't true! His father is _Endeavor_ and Endeavor is a _monster_. He's known that his whole life. He knows who his father is. He knows what a horrible person he is. _His father is a monster!_

"And who is this child?" Shigaraki's voice pulls him back to reality, but only for a second. "Who is this possessed hero?"

The Puppeteer laughs and Dabi swears it's making the room shake, so why does everyone else look so calm? The rain is coming down harder now and a strike of lightning lluminates the room.

"Body Snatcher, a former pro hero now turned villain, he's possessing the current Number One Hero, _Endeavor."_

_###_

Being possessed is not a walk in the park, especially when one's possessor is Yamazaki Ryuunosuke.

Todoroki Enji spends most of his days on edge, always alert and expecting the worst. He can't hear Ryuunosuke's thoughts. His words and actions are the only indicator of what horrible pain, both physical and emotional, he will inflict on his wife and children. He can't do anything to warn them, to protect them. All he can do is worry and pray that they'll be alright.

He's driving his car now, or rather, _Ryuunosuke_ is driving _his_ car. Enji takes no part in making the decision to turn right at the intersection. Even if he had wanted to turn left, he wouldn't have had the strength to dominate Ryuunosuke and take control of the wheel.

He got no say when Ryuunosuke used _his_ money to buy this car. Enji finds its beige exterior to be quite ugly and somehow, he thinks Ryuunosuke knows that. If there's anything his former classmate and ex best friend likes to do, it's doing things just to spite him.

Enji knows where they're going, it's a trip Ryuunosuke makes often. He also knows that for the moment, his family isn't in any danger. He can let down his guard for now, conserve his energy and just allow Ryuunosuke to keep driving towards their destination.

During these times, Enji likes to relive the few good memories he has. Ryuunosuke is cruel, Enji can't deny that, but there have been a few times where he had allowed Enji to indulge in his family, though under strict terms and conditions.

If he ever tries to tell anyone anything about his situation, then Ryuunosuke wouldn't hesitate to seriously hurt one of his children other than Shouto. Ryuunosuke had made it clear that Enji's three older children are of no use to him and getting rid of them would have no effect on his plans. For their safety, Enji remains silent.

He remembers when each one of them were born. Ryuunosuke allowed him brief control of his body when he held them each for the first time. They were too young to notice anything, so Ryuunosuke didn't mind too much. It's not like he wanted to hold Enji's children anyway.

He remembers meeting Touya for the first time. His turquoise eyes locked onto his own as he smiled down at the tiny bundle in his arms. He looked so much like him. For a moment, Enji forgot all about Ryuunosuke and his current state. He brought his newborn son closer to his chest and told him everything they were going to do together and what a great father he was going to be. He would teach him to play baseball, how to ride a bike and if he wanted, how to be a hero.

Enji spent a good twenty minutes describing to Touya how wonderful of a life he was going to have. He was forced though to stop when an all too familiar voice spoke up in the back of his mind.

_"Don't lie to the boy, Enji. We both know there's no rainbows and flowers in his future."_

And before he could say anything else to his dear, little boy, Ryuunosuke had kicked him out of the controls. Touya must have sensed what was happening because he suddenly started to cry. Enji could only watch as Ryuunosuke gave the baby, _his_ baby, back to the nurse. He begged Ryuunosuke to at least just let him look at his son, but the villain ignored his pleas and left the nursery.

When Fuyumi was born, Enji was ecstatic at the prospect of having a little girl. Ryuunosuke, not so much. It was obvious he had envisioned his "weapon" being a boy and Enji couldn't help but find relief in that. Ryuunosuke allowed him the brief return to his body again and Enji devoured every second he had with his newborn daughter. She looked so much like Rei with her big grey eyes and beautiful white hair. There were some specks of red thrown in as well, proof that she was indeed his child. This time, he hoped his words regarding her wonderful life would turn out to be the truth. For her sake, he prayed Ryuunosuke would ignore her and leave her to her own devices.

Natsuo was by far the largest baby. Like Fuyumi, he had grey eyes and white hair with a few streaks of red. He looked up at his father with a face full of innocence and Enji had to look away. He couldn't look his son in the eye and tell him what a great father he was going to be and what a wonderful life he was going to have when there was a good chance it wouldn't happen.

Touya hadn't been what Ryuunosuke wanted. His fire quirk was strong but the boy was weak. His body couldn't handle that amount of power. Ryuunosuke had tried to train him, to condition his body to control his flames but after many burns and much pleading from Enji and Rei, Ryuunosuke decided he wasn't worth his time. As he rocked the baby in his arms, all Enji could manage to tell him was that he better not have a strong quirk.

Enji cried when he saw Shouto for the first time. With his red and white hair evenly split down the middle and his beautiful yet such disappointing heterochromatic eyes, Enji knew he was the one. Natsuo's quirk hadn't turned out to be very powerful and for that Enji was grateful, but he feared Shouto wouldn't be that lucky. He wanted to tell him everything would be alright, that he had nothing to fear, but he couldn't find his words. All he could produce were tears and muffled apologies. He couldn't even manage an "I love you" before Ryuunosuke snatched his baby away from him again.

His cellphone rings, pulling him out of his memories. Ryuunosuke answers the call and Enji listens to the conversation.

"Hello?"

"Ryuunosuke! Where are you? We need more blood. You're running low!"

"I know, I know. I'm almost there. How'd the meeting with the League of Villains go?"

"Shigaraki said he would find the funds, though seeing as they're broke right now, I'm not sure how he'll obtain them. But I think he'll find a way. He seemed pretty eager to get his hands on Shouto."

"I can't imagine anyone not wanting him. His training will be completed soon and then we can hand him over to the League."

"We'll have to get rid of Enji, though, too."

"I know. We will. It's only a matter of time."

It's only a matter of time, time Enji doesn't have. He needs to do something and he needs to do something fast. He has to protect Shouto, but how?

* * *

**I posted this in a rush so I didn't have time to proofread. Apologies in advance for any typos.**

**So this chapter was really painful to write because it was so sad. And poor Dabi! He's so confused (more of him later).**

**Thank you guys for all your feedback last chapter. And 32 followers already! Thank you all so much! I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Let me know what you think :D**

**-britishsconesahoy **


	4. Chapter 4

Fuyumi's phone rings as she puts the last dish from dinner into the drying rack. She brushes her hand against the towel laying on the counter before grabbing the phone from her pocket.

"Hi, Natsuo! How are you? Were your summer classes okay? The new semester starts soon, doesn't it?"

She can hear her brother laugh on the other end. "Everything's going fine, Fuyumi. And I can see you're doing well too. We're not even five seconds in and you're already interrogating me."

"I'm not _interrogating_ you!" Fuyumi exits the kitchen and sits down on the couch. "If it makes you feel any better, I interrogate Shouto too whenever he comes home from school. I just want to know about what's keeping you so busy all the time that you can't even visit your dear, old sister during your summer break."

"You're twenty-two."

"Yeah, well dealing with you two for the past ten years really took the life out of me."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Honestly? I was still folding your laundry up until you left for college, Natsu. The other day, I asked Shouto to clean up from dinner because I had to run out for a bit. I came home and all he did was put the dirty dishes in the sink! How is that cleaning up? Why are you laughing?"

Fuyumi folds her arms as she waits for her brother to stop laughing. She can literally hear him wiping the tears from his eyes. "He's just pretending to be an idiot, Yumi! His plan is to do such a bad job that you just stop asking him entirely."

"Oh, really? And I'm assuming you taught him that?"

"Possibly..."

"Well, then guess who's folding his own laundry when he finally comes to visit."

"Maybe I just won't visit."

Fuyumi laughs and Natsuo soon joins in with her. They haven't spoken to each other in almost two weeks and Fuyumi enjoys hearing his voice again, even if he is just joking around. Natsuo has always been the more exuberant one, resorting to humor and playful banter whenever possible. It's his way of coping, similar to how she escapes by busying herself with her work and her brothers.

"So what did you want to talk about?"

Fuyumi's eyes widen as she remembers what she had wanted to tell him. "Oh, right! So, get this, Shouto's school decided to implement a new dorming system, you know, because of all the attacks and stuff. Honestly, I think it's a good thing because those things had me nervous. But now, I can sleep at night because I'll know Shouto and his classmates are safe at U.A."

"Geez, you sound like an over worried mom."

"Well, someone has to worry about him."

"Yeah, because it's not like the old man is." Natsuo says, making Fuyumi flinch at his cold tone. "Speaking of _him_, what did he have to say about all this or did you not tell him yet? He's not gonna allow it, I can tell you that. You didn't get Shouto's hopes up, did you? I swear, Fuyumi, you-"

"He said yes."

Fuyumi holds her breath as she waits for Natsuo to respond. He doesn't believe her, she can hear it in his silence. If there's one fault about Natsuo, it's that he has no hope. She knows that no matter what she says, he won't be happy. It's a fact of life she hasn't yet come to accept. Nothing her father does will inspire a feeling of hope in her brother.

"What do you mean, 'he said yes'?"

"Natsu..." Fuyumi drags out his name, trying to think of what else to say. Their father is allowing it, what else does he want her to tell him? "I'm just telling you like it happened. He said yes and that was the end of it. What's their not to understand?"

"Are you forgetting who our father is?" The question stings. Fuyumi is aware of how out of character it all sounds and she knows Natsuo knows that, so it hurts that he's still accusing of such a thing. "Do you not remember what he's done?"

"Natsu..."

"Quit 'Natsu-ing' me!" Fuyumi flinches again as Natsuo raises his voice. "When will you open your eyes and actually look at what's going on? You can't live in the dark forever. Just stop being so delusional already! That man is a heartless, selfish bastard and he will never be anything else! I don't care what he says or what he does. We can't trust him!"

Fuyumi clenches her free hand into a fist and sits up straight. "What, so you think he has some _ulterior_ _motive_."

"I don't know, Fuyumi, but he's definitely not allowing Shouto to dorm out of the kindness of his heart."

The front door opens and Fuyumi sits in silence as her father enters the house. She waits until he goes up the stairs. She can't have him hearing her talk about him. "So he's not allowed to do anything nice?"

"After everything he's put this family through? No, he's not. He doesn't deserve the chance to do nice things for us."

Fuyumi sinks back into the couch, closing her eyes and letting the tears she had been holding back fall. This is why she had tried to leave their father out of the conversation. Natsuo is one of the most good-natured, optimistic people she knows, but just the slightest mention of their father and his personality completely turns around. In Natsuo's mind, Todoroki Enji is just another name for Satan.

"I have to go clean up from dinner."

"Sure." If he knows she's lying, he doesn't show it. "We'll talk some other time."

"Alright, have a good night."

"You too. Take care of yourself and say hi to Shouto for me."

Fuyumi hangs up and lets the phone drop onto the couch as wipes the tears from her face with her sleeve. She knows her brother's feelings lay on the opposite side of the spectrum from hers and while she respects his right to form his own opinions, it makes it difficult to talk to him about these things.

She tries to see where Natsuo is coming from, why he believes what he believes, but everytime she fails. He hasn't seen what she's seen. He hasn't witnessed what good things Todoroki Enji is capable of. If he could just experience it like she had then maybe he would see it too, the heart that Fuyumi knows exists.

###

_She was thirteen at the time. It hadn't been long since her mother was sent away and she found herself, a mere middle school student, forced into the role of mother for her two younger brothers._

_She never held it against them. It wasn't their fault that their real mother wasn't around anymore and they were too young to take care of themselves. Deep down, Fuyumi knew that she too was too young to be the adult, but she suppressed the thought and hid her tears. Someone had to be there for Natsuo and Shouto. She wouldn't allow them to be neglected._

_Touya never approved of it. He'd give her a disappointed look everytime he caught her folding the laundry, cooking dinner, or getting her brothers ready for bed._

_"Why doesn't Dad just hire a nanny?" Touya asked her one night while she helped Shouto change into his pajamas. "He has the money for it."_

_Fuyumi ignored him as he continued to glare at her from the doorway. He already knew the answer, they both did. Their father didn't want to risk anyone finding out what went on in their house and if that meant no maids or nannies while he was away at work, then they'd have to live without them._

_"Come on, Shouto." She said, turning her back on Touya. "Time for bed."_

_She had spent the rest of the evening washing up from dinner and cleaning the bathroom. After pushing it off for two weeks already, she decided she needed to go and get it done. When she finally finished, she promised herself she would never wait that long again._

_It was almost midnight now and although she wanted nothing more than to just go to sleep, she needed to start studying for the math test she had the next morning. And besides, there was still a load of laundry going in the washing machine._

_"Why are you doing this to yourself?"_

_Fuyumi didn't look up from her textbook as Touya walked over to stand by her desk. "I need to study, Touya. Why are you even awake? It's almost midnight."_

_"Why am **I** awake? Why are **you** awake, Fuyumi?!" She jumped as Touya suddenly shut her textbook closed with a thud. "And you wouldn't need to study right now if you hadn't decided to play 'house' earlier with Natsu and Shouto."_

_"If you care so much, then why don't **you** help out?"_

_"I shouldn't have to and neither should you!"_

_She pushed his hand out of the way and reopened her textbook. "I know how things **should** be, but right now they aren't and we just have to deal with that."_

_Fuyumi kept her gaze glued to the page in front of her and pretended to study it. She could feel Touya's eyes burning into her, but she ignored him. After a few moments of silence, Touya let out a huff and left the room, slamming the door shut behind him._

_"You're gonna wake up Natsu and Shouto, you jerk!"_

_Fuyumi sighed and held her head in her hands as she tried to hold back the tears. She hated that Touya made her feel like this. She hated that disappointed look and those hurtful words he always threw her. She hated that he did nothing to lighten her burden while still acting as if he didn't like seeing her work so hard._

_But no matter how much he hurt her, she couldn't bring herself to hate him. Touya cared, she knew he did, but he was also stubborn. He felt strongly about what he believed and he wasn't going to let real-life circumstances get in the way of his protests. He had a point to make to their father and if he had to neglect his siblings and leave them to fend for themselves to do that, then he would._

_There was a part of Fuyumi that wanted to blame him for that, but she couldn't do it. She loved Touya and she knew, in his own twisted way, that he loved her too as well as her brothers. So she continued to sacrifice her own academics and energy for her brothers' sake while Touya just looked on and shook his head in disapproval._

_It was nearing one in the morning now and Fuyumi couldn't keep her eyes from closing. She wasn't prepared for her math test but her brain had decided it wasn't solving any more equations and she was more than happy to oblige. She closed her textbook and layed her head on the desk. She just needed to wait a little longer for the laundry to be done and then she could go to sleep._

_Fuyumi just started to doze off at her desk when she heard her bedroom door creak open. She lifted her head to see who it was and felt her eyes go wide and her cheeks flush when she saw her father standing in the doorway, decked in his hero costume but with his flames turned off._

_"D-Dad!" She stuttered as she tried to compose herself. "You're home late."_

_"You're up late."_

_Fuyumi let out a nervous laugh as her eyes traveled back to the textbook her father was staring at. "Ah, well, I have this math test tomorrow that I needed to finish studying for."_

_"You study with your book closed?"_

_Fuyumi's fingers went to fidget with her glasses as she tried to think up a lie. Honestly, when had he ever asked her so many questions? "I was just finishing."_

_Fuyumi kept her gaze on her desk, unable to lie to her father while looking at him. Her left leg began to tremble as she waited for his response._

_"Are you going to bed, then?"_

_She shook her head. "There's still a load in the wash-"_

_"I'll take care of it."_

_Fuyumi looked up at her father, eyes wide in disbelief. When had he ever shown concern about her sleep, let alone **her** in general? Did he even know how to work the dryer? Should she ask him?_

_"Uh, thanks. It should be done soon."_

_"Go to sleep." He said, turning to leave. "You won't do well on that test if you're tired."_

_Fuyumi didn't wait to be told twice. The second her father closed the door, she jumped into bed and fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow._

_The next morning, she was exhausted. Her father had left for work before she had woken up, so she didn't have to worry about running into him after the strange encounter the night before. On her way to the bathroom, Fuyumi peeked into the laundry room and, true to her father's word, the clothes had been dried and were now sitting folded in the laundry basket._

_If one surprising deed from her father hadn't been enough, then Fuyumi was in luck. When she arrived at school later and pulled out her pencil for the math test, her teacher skipped her desk when passing out the test papers and whispered to her to follow her outside the classroom._

_"Sensei, is something wrong?"_

_Her teacher shook her head. "Fuyumi, your father called me earlier and explained you had a busy night last night and weren't able to prepare properly for the math test. He asked if I could give you another day, so why don't you take the time now to study while your classmates are taking their test and I'll give you yours tomorrow."_

_"He called you?" Fuyumi wondered out loud before realizing what she said. "I mean, thank you! I really appreciate it, sensei."_

_Her father trained Shouto hard that night and as Fuyumi helped patch him up afterwards, she couldn't help but feel like she had in some way been responsible for it._

###

"Get up, Shouto!"

Enji watches, just as he always does, as Ryuunosuke shouts at his youngest son. The boy is on his knees panting, drops of blood falling from a fresh cut on his right arm and forming a puddle on the floor. He wants to do something, to get Shouto out of there and bandage the wound on his arm so it doesn't get infected because he knows Ryuunosuke won't. He can only hope that Fuyumi will be around to help him when Ryuunosuke finally gets bored.

_This is my fault,_ Enji tells himself. _If I would just shut my damn mouth._

But he knows he can't. He can't stay silent for long while his children are suffering. Overpowering Ryuunosuke is the only thing Enji can do and he hates that as a consequence, Shouto has to get hurt. If only he could explain to him what's going on. If only he could explain to _someone_. If only someone could _know!_

But nobody knows. No one knows that he is trapped. No one knows that his son is being abused and his other children are neglected. No one knows the true gravity of his wife's condition. No one knows his eldest is missing or possibly dead.

_Touya could be dead._

If Enji were able to shed tears while possessed, he would. He tries not to think about Touya, not because he doesn't want to care, but because it's too hard to. There's nothing he can do, he can't even go out looking for him.

He hopes he's not dead. He hopes he's not in pain or in trouble. If he could just know that he's safe, at least then he wouldn't have to worry about all the other undesirable possibilities. However, that's assuming he is safe. Enji doesn't like thinking anything otherwise.

"I'm done playing this game with you." Ryuunosuke says, turning away from Shouto. "Be weak, but know that a hero can't just give up when he feels too tired. You better not slack off when you start dorming."

_I'm sorry, Shouto, Touya, all of you. You deserve better._

* * *

**Sorry for the delay. School is taking up a lot of my time.**

**So a few things on this chapter. I rewrote the first scene like 4 times because I was trying to get the interactions between Fuyumi and Natsuo right. One of my biggest peeves in fiction and fanfiction is the unrealistic sibling interactions. I have 4 siblings myself, varying in ages from 10 months apart from me to 17 years apart from me, so I think I know a bit about how siblings interact and many people, who I'm gonna assume are only children, don't get it right. I don't know, maybe you think their conversation wasn't realistic. Let me know what you think. I was trying to explore them wanting to talk to each other civilly while at the same time trying to keep their differing opinions from getting in the way. I also feel this sudden shift in the conversation from joking around as close siblings to arguing and shouting at each other is typical of sibling interactions. And then of course being quick to forgive afterwards. Anyway, what did you all think?**

**Also, a quick thought about Touya- I think he always had a darker side to his personality. Maybe not to the point of murder when he was younger, but still dark nonetheless. I still think he cared about his siblings, just that his way of defying his father kind of interfered with that. I think this darker side of his personality would have contributed to his becoming a villain and eventually leading him to commit things like murder. Anyway, that's why he acted the way he did in that flashback. He just has a darker way of dealing with things.**

**Thank you for all the reviews and follows! You have no idea how happy they make me and I smile like an idiot whenever I read them :D Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed this chapter.**

**And don't worry, we'll be getting back to Dabi next chapter ;)**

**-britishsconesahoy**


	5. Chapter 5

Dabi hadn't always despised his father. There was a time when he tolerated him, looked up to him, _admired_ him.

He remembers snippets from the early days. Before his siblings were born, before his quirk had manifested. Blurred memories of him sitting on the couch with his knees digging into the cushions, despite his mother's disapproval. His chin resting on the backrest and his turquoise eyes glued to the picture window overlooking the front yard, scanning the road and waiting for that ugly beige car to roll into the driveway.

And oh, how ugly it was. Even as a toddler, Dabi could recognize his father's horrible taste in automobiles.

_"Daddy, why did you get such an ugly car?"_

_A three year old Touya stood on the pavement as he watched Enji scrub the dirt off his car. It almost blended into the beige paint itself and Touya wondered if it even needed cleaning. Why put in the effort to clean it off if it wasn't noticeable?_

_"It is rather ugly, isn't it?"_

_Enji dropped the washcloth back into the bucket of soap and turned around to face Touya, his face morphing into a grin which he couldn't identify, his mind debating between playful and antagonizing._

_The latter seemed more accurate, but just who was his father trying to provoke?_

_Him?_

_"Why don't you get something cool?"_

_"Like what?"_

_Touya thought for a minute before his eyes lit up as an idea popped into his head. "A red car, like your flames! And it can be a convertible!"_

_They never got to finish the conversation. Touya's mother soon came outside, beckoning him to come back inside the house. Normally, he'd put up a struggle and beg to stay. Rei was always pulling him away from his father and Touya could never understand why._

_This time, though, he obeyed without a fight. Rei was pregnant with his little sibling and he remembered her explaining to him how stressing her out wouldn't be good for the baby._

_He decided his new brother or sister mattered more than solving the mystery behind his father's interest in ugly cars._

So many memories flood Dabi's mind, each one containing his father. He hadn't realized just how many times they had interacted and he can't help but wonder which times had been Body Snatcher and which times had been Enji.

He had tried to keep up his denial, to cover his ears as the evidence poured in. He had ran out the door the second he heard his father's name. Twice had shouted at him, asked where he was going. Dabi didn't answer.

He didn't know.

He's running now, boots splashing through puddles of mixed water and mud. A guy yells as Dabi bumps into him in his haste. He doesn't apologize, just keeps going. A car honks and swerves as Dabi runs across an intersection as if his eyes are closed.

They may as well be, since he can't see anything with all the water dripping down his face. He doesn't bother wiping it away though. It's not like anyone can differentiate between his tears and the rain water.

Maybe he can outrun this, this nightmare disguised as a dream.

Or maybe it's a dream disguised as a nightmare.

Dabi can't tell.

"Dabi!"

Dabi stops when he hears his name. His left boot stomps into a large puddle in the process but he doesn't even notice. What he does notice though is the idiot shouting his alias, and not to mention the alias of one of the most wanted villains in Japan, out in public!

"Dabi! Hey, wait up!"

Dabi glances around him, makes sure no one is paying attention. The only person in the vicinity is walking across the street talking on his phone. Low chance he heard anything.

Satisfied, though still paranoid, Dabi turns around to see Twice running towards him.

"Shut up, you moron! We're in public!"

Dabi stands still as Twice catches up to him. The overcoat he dons and the umbrella he holds hides his face, but Dabi recognizes him. It's a skill one picks up after operating in the shadows for so long.

"Geez, you run fast!" Twice says in between breaths. He raises the umbrella to cover the two of them. "Here, you're soaking. You're gonna get sick."

Dabi steps out from under the umbrella and moves towards a park bench sitting nearby. It's wet with puddles forming on its surface, but he sits anyway. Tolerating discomfort is another skill one obtains from living the villain life.

"Or you can just continue getting soaked." Twice folds up the umbrella and moves to sit beside Dabi. "Sure, let's sit in the rain."

Dabi doesn't look over as Twice sits down on the wet seat next to him. Instead, he keeps his eyes on his muddy, worn out boots, another sign of the path he's chosen.

They sit in silence for a few minutes. Dabi has no plans to initiate the inevitable conversation, but he knows Twice will soon enough.

"You just ran out of there."

An accusation, not a question. Twice doesn't want to ask it outright, but Dabi knows he's curious. Why else would he chase after him in this weather?

"Yeah, what of it?"

It's cruel, he knows.

Dabi also knows that curiosity isn't what pulled Twice out here. Twice cares, and it contradicts everything Dabi has taught himself to believe.

But aren't his beliefs now false? The way he had painted the world, he had used the wrong colors. He had been colorblind for all these years.

He feels cheated.

"You didn't get to hear the plan. Well, it's not really a detailed plan since we don't know exactly what we're doing just yet, but-"

"I get it." Dabi cuts him off, eyes still staring at his boots. "Shigaraki knows we're broke, right? We can't afford the kid."

_You can't afford my brother._

Dabi sometimes wishes he had access to his father's bank accounts like he used to, so the League could have better resources, give them more of a fighting chance.

Right now, though, he's content with his empty pockets.

"He knows. I think we all do." Twice sighs and Dabi can hear him lean back on the bench. "But he's stubborn and feels like he's entitled to him because he's 'Sensei's successor' and all that."

_No one's entitled to Shouto._

"So what's his plan?"

Dabi prays there isn't a plan, he needs to protect his brother from the BtB. Send the League of Villains after him too and Dabi will have to fight a two front war.

"He's debating between kidnapping the kid and storming the BtB."

Dabi suppresses the urge to snort. He doubts either will work. They have no means of getting Shouto to comply and the BtB has almost twice the amount of members, all with strong quirks. They have no fighting chance and for that, Dabi is grateful.

"So what do you think of all this, Twice?"

"What do you mean?"

Dabi finally looks up at him. He looks him right in the eye, doesn't bother to conceal the anger he's feeling.

"This whole scheme All For One devised. Possessing a man so he can turn his innocent child into a tool. Our battle is with the heroes and what they stand for. Interfering with some innocent kid's life kind of ruins our reputation if you ask me."

Dabi keeps his eyes on Twice, his aura screaming of confidence. He finds it funny though because while he's all cool and composed on the outside, there is so much confusion and turmoil going on inside.

He wonders if Twice will be able to see through his wall.

A part of him wants him to.

"It wouldn't be my first choice..." Twice trails off at the end and Dabi knows there's a 'but' coming. "but people like us sometimes have to take whatever chances we get. It may not be ideal, but villains don't have many options. I feel bad for the kid and his family, it's kind of messed up, but we got to make sacrifices to get what we want. You know what I mean?"

Dabi knows exactly what Twice means. He had sacrificed himself for his mother and siblings, though he questions now whether it had been in vain.

But why does it have to be _his_ family? Why do _their_ lives have to be the sacrifice? He knows he being selfish but he has every right to. He doesn't remember signing up for this. He knows his siblings sure hadn't, nor had his mother. And now he knows even his father had never given the green light.

Screw this. He's saving Enji and he's fixing his family. Dabi had never been a follower, and he is not going to allow some villain organization to use his family as a bunch of lowly pawns.

Dabi's got the upper hand here.

He can use the League of Villains to take down the BtB.

He can give his father his body back.

He can protect Shouto.

He can fix his broken family, just like he had always wanted.

"Yeah, I know exactly what you mean."

Twice grins and knows he's giving him the wrong idea. Twice is one of the good guys, or as good as a villain can get, and he's one of the few people outside his family that Dabi genuinely cares about.

He has to remind himself that Twice is on a mission too. He had been hurt by hero society and he's just doing whatever he can to achieve his goals.

Just because Dabi's claim to hero corruption had been proved false doesn't mean the hero world is still perfect. It's flawes, Dabi knows, and he'd be a coward and a denier if he just walks away from it once he gets his family back.

He can't abandon their cause. Hell, he had sacrificed his life to go down this villainous path and he couldn't just give it up. He's a villain now, returning to civilian life isn't so simple. He's still got two battles to fight.

"I'm gonna go back to HQ." Twice says, standing up and opening his umbrella. "Are you coming?"

And he's going to win won of them very soon.

"Yeah, I'm coming."

He can feel his flames itching to ignite. He wants to burn this possessing bitch to ashes.

Dabi wonders now whether the beige car had been his father's idea or Body Snatcher's. He really hopes it was the latter.

###

Shouto's phone buzzes as he's about to open the door to his mother's hospital room. Midoriya's texting him, asking him if he's excited to move into the dorms later that afternoon. Shouto leaves him on read as he walks into the room.

He'll respond later.

"Hi, Mom." Shouto greets his mother as he closes the hospital room door behind him. "How are you doing?"

Rei smiles at him as he sits down across from her. "I'm doing well, sweetheart. How's your summer break been? You go back to school tomorrow, right?"

"It's been alright." Shouto doesn't have to lie to her. She knows his home life isn't rainbows and sunshine. "I go back to school tomorrow. It's actually what I want to talk to you about."

"Ah, yes. Fuyumi mentioned something about that yesterday."

"She told you already?"

No! Shouto wanted to be the one to break the good news. Fuyumi promised she wouldn't say anything!

Rei laughs. "No, no! She didn't give any details, Shouto. She wanted to but she told me how excited you were to tell me yourself, so she didn't say anything."

"Oh, okay." He knows he shouldn't have jumped to conclusions. Fuyumi is a chatterbox and does struggle with keeping secrets, but she also knows just how much of a turning point this is for him. "UA set up a dorming system, so now I'll be living at school instead of at home."

Shouto watches his mother's face for a reaction, but he's having trouble reading it. He can't tell whether she's happy or doubtful. Maybe she's both?

"Dorming?" She then gives him a look that Shouto can only identify as pity. "Shouto, honey, you know I'm not your legal guardian anymore, right?"

Ah, so that's what she's worried about.

"I know, Mom." He reassures her. "He already gave his permission."

Rei's expression changes to shock. "He did? But how-"

"Don't worry, Mom." Shouto says, though his mind flicks back to that impromptu training session a few nights back. "Everything's fine."

He feels guilty about that lie because he knows he doesn't have to do that around his mother. He thinks maybe he should take it back, but his mother's face brightens and he holds back.

"Alright, if you say so." The smile is back on her face now, a genuine one. Shouto hadn't realized how much he missed those until he had started visiting her. "You're gonna be living with your friends then? That will be an exciting change."

Shouto's own smile falters a bit. "I guess."

"You seem nervous."

He is nervous, though he thinks terrified is more of an accurate description. He's terrified to leave home, terrified to leave the place that terrifies him.

"Why am I scared to leave?"

It's a vague question, but his mother understands what he's implying. She also understands what he's feeling, and for that Shouto is grateful, because he most certainly does not.

"It's okay to be scared, Shouto." She says in that familiar tone of hers, so soft in contrast to his father's. "This is a new thing for you, it's not something you're used to. It's normal to fear the unknown."

He still doesn't understand. He's going to a better place, so why is he so hesitant?

He doesn't voice his fear aloud, but Rei sees it in his face anyway.

"Shouto, trust me." She says, her tone turning firm. "It will be scary for the first few days, maybe even weeks. But I promise you, everything's gonna be alright. For the first time, you're gonna have to make your own decisions and think for yourself and that can be a terrifying thought when you've lived such a sheltered life up until now."

"You think so?"

He wants to trust her, he really does.

"I _know_ so."

Shouto nods. He figures what his mother is saying makes some sense. He hopes she's right and that everything turns out okay. He wants things to be okay.

It's been a long time since he even had hope that everything would be okay.

That must mean progress.

"Mom?"

"Hm?"

The memory of his father's mood change from a few days ago is playing on a loop in his head. It has been ever since it happened. Shouto wants to ask Rei about it, see if she has any answers for him.

Fuyumi always dodges the subject. When Shouto had brought it up a few days ago, it had been the first time he had mentioned the topic in years. He had expected his sister to be open about it with him that time considering he was fifteen now and perfectly capable of understanding, but she had closed the conversation before it even started.

He loves his sister, but he wishes she would stop seeing him as a child.

Should he ask his mother? Talking directly about his father might not be good for her health, or that's what Fuyumi had told him. Perhaps she's just trying to protect him, like she always is.

"Shouto? Did you want to ask me something?"

He had spaced out again. He can't do that around his mother, he'll worry her. Maybe Fuyumi is right. Bringing up his father won't do her any good.

"Uh, no. I just wanted to say thanks for that. I think I'm feeling less nervous now."

Her smile is back, maybe a sign that he had made the right decision. "Good, I'm glad. And remember, you can always talk to me about anything."

Right, anything. "Yeah, I know."

They talk for another half hour until Shouto says he needs to leave. He tells his mother he still has some packing to do. It's not a complete lie, but Shouto can stay a bit longer.

He chooses not to, though. Somewhere in their conversation, Rei had gotten distracted. She does that sometimes, drifts off in her mind. Shouto doesn't know what she's thinking about but he figures it's not unpleasant because she always looks so content when she does.

He doesn't worry about it. Instead, he takes it as his cue to leave. Shouto hugs his mother goodbye, promises to tell her all about the dorms at his next visit.

On his way, he texts Midoriya back.

_Todoroki: Yes, I'm very excited._

_###_

_Rei smiled as she watched the family a few tables down. There was a young couple with three children. Rei knew it was wrong to stare but they looked so happy. And besides, Enji had left to use the restroom and she had nothing better to do._

_Rei fiddled with the engagement ring on her finger as she watched. It was a beautiful ring, the most beautiful piece of jewelry she had ever owned._

_It was also the most expensive._

_By far._

_The wedding was only a couple of months away. Rei couldn't stop thinking about it and she knew Enji couldn't either with how much they both talked about it. Aside from the wedding, though, she didn't really think about what would come next._

_She tried, but she didn't want to get her hopes up._

_Rei knew Enji was a busy man and he'd only get busier as he moved up the ranks. Being a hero was a tough job and getting some time alone with him now was hard enough as it is. She had thought about having children, about being a family like the one she was watching now._

_But she knew that might not be possible._

_"What are you thinking about so intently?"_

_Rei jumped as Enji's voice broke through her thoughts. She hadn't noticed him coming back._

_"It's nothing, really."_

_"That's what you say when it is something."_

_They stared at each other for a good few seconds before Rei laughed. He knew her too well._

_"Alright, I was thinking about something."_

_"Well, that part is obvious."_

_She blurted it out before she could hesitate. "Will we be able to raise a family?"_

_She looked at Enji, searching his face for a reaction. She doesn't know why she's so afraid, he never said he was against it. They just never talked about it._

_"Of course we will." He said with a confident smile. "I've always wanted children. Didn't I tell you that?"_

_Rei shook her head. She would remember that._

_Enji turned around to glance at the family a few tables down. "I've never had that. My mother died when I was young and my father wasn't around much. I didn't have any siblings either. It was a lonely childhood and I was always envious of families like that."_

_He gestures to the family they were both looking at. "I want that, Rei, and I don't care if I have to make my hero career secondary to get that. That is, if you want that too"_

_Rei knew he wasn't kidding when he said that. "I do, Enji. I do want that."_

_They spent the rest of their evening talking about their wedding, their future family, and everything that came with it. They both wanted children, and Enji made it clear that he wanted more than one. He didn't want them to have the lonely childhood that he had._

_"I can see it now, Rei. You, me, our four perfect children, driving down the road in our red convertible-"_

_Rei giggled. "A convertible is not a typical family car, Enji."_

_"Well, we won't be a typical family so we can have a convertible."_

_"We'll talk about the car."_

This chapter is very overdue and for that, I apologize. Being a music student is just really time consuming. I'm taking piano, guitar and music theory all at the same and it's very stressful. But I love it!

I'm not really gonna comment much this chapter because I'm sick and miserable right now. But I really wanted to get this chapter out already so I'm sorry if the writing is a bit lacking.

One thing I do want to say though is that this fic contains a lot of flashbacks. I'll slowly be giving you bits and pieces of the past.

Reviews are appreciated because I like hearing what you guys think. They also make me happy so leave a review to make me less miserable :D

Oh! And this fic now has a tumblr! Check it out for updates and stuff, it's called outofcharacter-bnha.

Thanks for reading!

-britishsconesahoy


	6. Chapter 6

**Just a quick explanation for the first scene so you don't get confused:**

**Normal text is current time, Ryuunosuke's POV**

**Italicized text is current time, Ryuunosuke's thoughts**

**Bolded italicized text is Enji (only Ryuunosuke can hear him)**

**And whole paragraphs in italicized text is a flashback.**

* * *

The office of the Pro Hero Endeavor- a room larger than a small apartment with its width spanning almost the entirety of the Endeavor Hero Agency's fifteenth floor. Its double doors open to the Flame Hero's desk, an impressive piece of furniture made of expensive ebony, and the leather armchairs seated in a square surrounding the table placed in the room's center. Sunlight pours in from the glass windows extending across the southern wall and the light reflects off the chandelier, its crystals glimmering.

An office designed for the Number Two Hero, as if it were a fact he would soon be promoted to Number One.

Ryuunosuke slams his pen down on the desk and glares for what must be the thirtieth time at the newspaper article reporting All Might's retirement.

For twenty-five years, he's possessed the body of Enji Todoroki to surpass this man holding the Number One title and now his rival quits? Just gives up without a fight?

This isn't what Ryuunosuke wants. He wants to prove his strength, his superiority to other heroes. He wants to show Japan what a true hero like himself is capable of.

It's his whole reason for possessing his former best friend in the first place.

Despite what people had tried to tell him, his possession quirk just isn't suited for making him Number One. It's perfect for infiltration and undercover operations, but as Ryuunosuke soon realized, that area of hero work isn't where the money and fame lies.

Recognition and popularity requires quirks that are flashy- quirks that put on a good show. To gain fans, a hero needs to be able to showcase his power and demonstrate his prowess in taking down villains.

Infiltration and undercover operations don't have room for that. If anything, the _villains_ Ryuunosuke had apprehended during those missions are more famous than he'd ever be.

Ryuunosuke's failure to earn a spot in the Hero Billboard Charts only adds salt to the wound. He doesn't take into account the fact that he had only been a pro hero for about a year and that most heroes require a few years in the field before the public even knows their names. It's rare for heroes fresh out of high school to take a spot in the Hero Billboard Charts.

_But Enji did._

The flaming bastard had barely even tried to get that forty-first position a year after graduation. No effort at all, just like a magnet pulled to the higher ranks. How could he try when all his time had been spent with that girlfriend of his.

_Rei_.

Enji had seen her as a motivation, a reason for him to become stronger. He had said he wanted to be able to protect her and the "future family" they talked about building.

Ryuunosuke, however, had seen her as a distraction- a waste of time for someone training to become a hero.

_"Enji, where are we going?" Ryuunosuke asked for the third time as he followed his former classmate and best friend through the hallways of the hotel. "Today is the last day of this hero convention, and considering it's our first, I want to make the most of it."_

_Enji didn't turn around as Ryuunosuke voiced his discontent. "I know and that's exactly why this is so important! Today is my last chance."_

_Ryuunosuke suppressed a groan and rolled his eyes, bracing himself for whatever crazy idea the Flame Hero had concocted. "Last chance for what?"_

_Enji stopped walking, Ryuunosuke almost crashing into him as a result. The taller man then turned around to face Ryuunosuke, his blue eyes scanning the hallway. Ryuunosuke looked around too, curious as to what Enji was searching for. The hallway was empty aside from the two of them and all the doors were shut._

_Ryuunosuke let out the groan he was holding in as he turned his gaze back to the flame hero. "Enji, whatever crazy idea you came up with-"_

_Ryuunosuke's voice trailed off as Enji pulled out a small leather box from his pocket. Ryuunosuke tried to retrieve his voice as he stared at the pro hero cradling the box in his hands. He handled the box with such delicacy, a gentleness one wouldn't associate with him at a first glance. Such a built young man with his muscles bulging underneath his hero costume- to display such delicacy just didn't suit him._

_It was simply out of character._

_Ryuunosuke never understood it. Enji Todoroki, the man who had it all- the powerful, flashy quirk, the strong, muscular build, the handsome yet menacing face, the confidence, the ambition- he was born to be Number One. He was supposed to be using that strength and power to fight villains like the hero he was trained to be._

_And yet, here he was, caressing a small, useless box- treating it with such care and tenderness like it was the most precious thing in the world._

_The same way he treated Rei._

_"You're supposed to get down on one knee when you propose."_

_Ryuunosuke glared, Enji smirked. The latter didn't notice the dissonance between their facial expressions- his focus was fixated on the diamond ring sitting amongst the purple velvet lining the box's interior._

_"It's not for you, moron." His gaze was still glued to the piece of jewellery, its shine reflected in his blue eyes. "I'm going to propose to Rei."_

_Ryuunosuke didn't hide the disapproval plastered on his face when Enji tore his eyes away from the ring and looked up at the Possession Hero._

_"What's that look for, Ryuunosuke? It's too soon, isn't it? I knew I should've waited longer!" Enji closed the ring box and began to return it to his pocket when his hand froze. "But I feel ready. And I'm pretty sure she feels the same, or at least, it seems like she does-"_

_"You'll never be ready, Enji."_

_Ryuunosuke didn't plan for the words to come out so harsh, but he was glad they did- it better reflected how he really felt. He knew Enji had picked up on that because that layer of softness he always coated himself in began to break away, revealing the tough exterior that Ryuunosuke knew was his true nature._

_The man Enji Todoroki was supposed to be._

_"What are you implying?"_

_Enji's grip on the leather box tightened as small flames ignited from his face, their silhouettes dancing on the walls behind him. Ryuunosuke congratulated himself on firing Enji up. It wasn't often that he lost his temper, so this was a rare sight to see._

_"Tell me, Enji- how many of the top ten pro heroes have families?"_

_Enji didn't say anything but Ryuunosuke knew that he knew the correct number. He answered for him anyway._

_"Zero. Absolutely none." Enji still kept quiet, so Ryuunosuke continued. "And do you know why that is? Because to become a hero, you need to dedicate your life to it. Heroes don't have time for frivolous things like girlfriends and families. Your work is your wife, Enji! Rei will only hold you back from your true potential-"_

_"Shut up!" Enji shouted as his flames extinguished. "You have no idea what you're talking about. So what if it's not the norm, that doesn't mean it's impossible. I can be a hero and raise a family. I don't know what expectations you think I have for myself, but I can tell you right now that becoming Number One isn't on the list._

_"Helping people- that's on the list. Making the world a better place, stopping villains- those are on the list. Being there for Rei, supporting her, protecting her and our future family, making sure they're happy- those are my expectations I set for myself. If that prevents me from being in the top ten, then so be it. And be honest, Ryuunosuke, you're just jealous."_

_Ryuunosuke clenched his fists as Enji returned the box to his pocket. How dare he accuse him of being jealous of Rei! If he had Enji's quirk, he would have set the whole hallway, no- the whole hotel on fire. Why was Enji so blind to his abilities? Could he not see the potential of his quirk? Was he really going to throw it all away for a girl?_

_And speaking of said girl..._

_"Enji! I've been looking all over for you."_

_Ryuunosuke scoffed as Enji's expression immediately softened when Rei, with her beautiful white hair and her warm grey eyes, walked towards them._

_"Sorry, I had to talk to Ryuunosuke about something." Enji said, shooting a glare at the Possession Hero when Rei looked away. "It was about hero stuff but we're done now."_

_Rei looked back and forth between the two of them and though she didn't say anything, Ryuunosuke knew she could sense the tension._

_"Oh, I see."_

_Enji stuffed his hands into his pockets. "I actually want to talk to you about something, Rei. Could you meet me outside in ten minutes?"_

_Rei gave him a smile, the smile she only gave to Enji. "Of course."_

_"Then I'll see you soon." Enji said, smiling back as he began to walk down the hall._

_Ryuunosuke waited until Enji turned the corner. He then looked over at Rei, his cold glare meeting her warm eyes._

_"You're holding him back."_

_He saw her confusion at his sudden accusation, but Ryuunosuke didn't want to reward her with an explanation. Instead, he walked away, deciding to leave her confused at his words. She was probably going to ask Enji about it later anyway._

_Who was he kidding? Of course she was going to ask him._

_They were about to be Mr. and Mrs. Todoroki._

Ryuunosuke's phone rings, pulling him from his daydreams.

"Hello?"

It's the Puppeteer.

"Body Snatcher, or should I say, Endeavor?" He laughs at his own joke, a joke that had gotten old twenty years ago. "Anyway, congratulations on becoming Number One! If only everyone could know the top hero is actually a villain. Now that would show them how messed up this society is, am I right?"

Ryuunosuke retrieves his pen and taps it on the desktop. He doesn't have the patience for this.

"Shut up, it's not happening."

"Oh, I know. I just like-"

"Why are you calling?"

There's a huff on the other line. "You know, just because you're the Number One Hero now doesn't mean you actually have to act like it. You can take some time off from your busy schedule to chat. So what if a few people get hurt because you're-"

"Tell me what you want or I'm hanging up."

Another huff. "Alright! Fine, _Number One._ I'm calling because we need to talk about your _son."_

Ryuunosuke taps his pen harder. It's the dreaded conversation. He had known this was coming, especially after the Puppeteer had met with the League of Villains. He just has a hard time acknowledging it because he doesn't have a plan yet.

"What of it?"

There's a knock at Ryuunosuke's door but he ignores it. He's giving Puppeteer his full attention.

He knows Enji is too.

"As you know, Shigaraki is working on getting us our pay so we need to fulfill our end of the deal. That means we need to prepare Shouto."

_And that also means I need to prepare to lose this body._

"Is the plan still the same?"

"That's actually why I called. We need a Plan B."

Intriguing, perhaps this will work in his favor. He doesn't want to give up Shouto, the weapon he's been training for the past ten years. The boy is his masterpiece, his perfect product. He's his ticket to a longer reign on the throne.

"A Plan B, huh? What's the problem?"

"Controller, our guy with the mind manipulation quirk, he was arrested and is now in jail. We can't give Shouto to the League of Villains just the way he is and we don't have anyone else with a quirk who can take control or alter his mind."

_Yes, we do._

This is working exactly in his favor. Ryuunosuke had never cared for fixing hero society, him joining All For One and the BtB had been purely for his benefit. By offering to use his quirk to possess one of the top pro heroes and create the perfect weapon, he had been able to get protection for his body.

Ryuunosuke's only goal is to become Number One and if he needs to possess his former best friend and ruin his life and the lives of his wife and children to do it, then he will.

But now he has Shouto, a boy with more potential than even Enji.

"Are you forgetting what my quirk can do, Puppet?"

"What are you suggesting?"

Ryuunosuke smirks._ I hope you're listening, Enji._

"I'll possess Shouto."

_**No!**_

"What about Enji's body? Once you leave it he'll have control again. He's just gonna try and fight back."

Ryuunosuke scoffs. Villains can be such idiots sometimes.

"You're an organization full of manipulative quirks. Your quirk alone can restrain him. I doubt that all of you together would have a hard time immobilizing him."

_**You're overestimating yourselves. When I have my body back, nothing, not even your useless quirks, will stop me from protecting my son from possession. I will never allow him to go through the same thing I did.**_

Is that so, Enji? Well, we'll see about that.

"We could just kill Enji right away. We'll have the upperhand."

Once upon time, Ryuunosuke would have agreed to that plan but years of possessing Enji has awakened his sadistic side.

And if there's anyone who likes torture more than he does, it's the Puppeteer.

"Actually, I thought it would be more fun if we revealed to little Shouto how we completely sabotaged his family. And then of course, we kill his father right in front of his eyes, the father he never got a chance to meet."

The Puppeteer hadn't needed any more convincing- Ryuunosuke could possess Shouto, the boy destined to become the greatest hero in the world.

Now, if only Enji could see Shouto for the aspiring hero he is instead of some helpless little boy who needs his daddy's protection.

_**Is it not enough that you controlled every aspect of his life up until now?! I don't care that you have no compassion for me, torture me all you want, but Shouto? He's a child! Do you not have a single ounce of morality left in your dark soul?**_

"Of course, I do." Ryuunosuke laughs. "You of all people should know that I didn't do all this for the sake of villainy. I'm doing this for the good of the people. I'm giving them heroes that can save them and protect them."

_**That's a lie and you know it. You're only in it for the glory. Always were and always will be. I don't know why I didn't see it sooner.**_

Enji just doesn't understand.

He never had.

"You're just jealous that I made more with your quirk than you ever could. Now just imagine what I could do with Shouto!"

_**You're not touching my son.**_

"That's very demanding coming from someone who's currently powerless."

_**I will protect him from you.**_

Now _that_ is something Ryuunosuke would love to see.

###

When Izuku opens his eyes Monday morning, it takes him a few minutes to remember that he's not in his bed back at his mother's apartment, but rather in his room in the new dorm building on UA's campus.

He's never felt so awake at five in the morning.

It only takes Izuku a few minutes to brush his teeth and change into a t-shirt and pair of sweatpants. He then puts on his sneakers, stuffs his phone into his pocket, grabs his water bottle, and heads out into the hallway.

He had promised himself he'd try to keep up his early morning workouts as much as he can.

The hallway is empty, not surprising as classes don't start for another three hours. Izuku figures most of his classmates want to stay in bed for as long as possible, especially considering the late hour they had all went to sleep the previous night.

Izuku tries to make as little noise as he can as he passes by the other rooms on his floor. He pauses in front of the elevator, debating whether he should take it or not. After a few seconds, he shakes his head and walks towards the stairs.

He's only one flight up.

The lights in the common room are off but the rising sun seeps through the large windows lining the walls, decking the furniture in a faint glow. Izuku finds the change of scenery a little unsettling at first, but he figures he'll get used it. This is his home now.

Even if it is only temporary.

Izuku walks pass the kitchen and the dining area, enjoying the quiet that he knows won't last long. He had gotten a preview the night before of how loud and noisy living with so many people would be. It's not something he's familiar with after living with just his mom his whole life.

It's just another thing he'll need to get used to.

Izuku passes by the sitting area and walks over to the door, stretching out his arm to grasp the handle. Before he could open it though someone coughs, causing the green haired boy to jump in surprise. Izuku turns around and his eyes fall on a familiar figure sitting on the couch, his red and white hair making it impossible to misidentify him.

"Todoroki, I didn't see you there." Izuku says, stepping away from the door to stand in front of the elevator. "Are you an early riser too?"

Izuku takes in Todoroki's appearance and judges from his wet clothes and the sweat falling down his face that he must have just finished his own morning workout. He wonders if Todoroki does this everyday. Maybe they can workout together.

"Sure."

It's a vague answer, but Izuku and his classmates are used to Todoroki's one-word responses. He only speaks the bare minimum, as if he has a word limit he needs to stick to. Izuku can't understand how Todoroki does it and if he's being honest, he's also a little bit jealous of how he never seemes to ramble.

"I'm going out for a run." Izuku says, his eyes still on Todoroki. The dual haired boy hasn't even looked up at him yet, his gaze set straight ahead. "I would invite you to join me, but it looks like you've already got your exercise for the day."

Todoroki just nods his head and after a few moments of silence, Izuku realizes that that had been Todoroki's contribution to the conversation- meaning it's his turn to keep it going.

"So how long have you been up?"

"Since two, I couldn't sleep. I didn't get out of bed until three-thirty though."

Izuku does the mental math and recalls them all going to sleep half past midnight, meaning Todoroki couldn't have gotten more than an hour and a half of sleep!

"How are you awake right now?!" He asks, genuinely concerned for his classmates wellbeing. "And you shouldn't be working out when you're sleep deprived. It'll put too much strain on your body. You should really go get some more sleep, Todoroki. There's still a couple more hours before-"

"Midoriya, I'll be fine."

Todoroki finally turns to look at him, his exhaustion evident on his face even if he won't admit it. His mismatched eyes try to keep their gaze steady as they focus on him, but Izuku can tell they're having difficulty doing so.

"Todoroki," Izuku hesitates, debating whether or not he should subject Todoroki to further interrogation. His rational side tells him to just leave the tired boy alone, but that idea doesn't sit well with Izuku. "do you usually have trouble sleeping?"

Todoroki shakes his head and breaks eye contact. "I'm just not used to sleeping anywhere other than my bed at home."

It's a valid excuse and Izuku wants to believe him, as he understands the feeling himself. It's hard to tell when Todoroki is lying, his expression and tone never change. It's something Izuku has taken notice of after the Sports Festival. He's paid attention a lot more to Todoroki in general after that day.

It had been hard not to, especially after what Todoroki had told him.

"You should get going if you want get a run in before class." Todoroki says, standing up from his seat on the couch. "I have to go shower anyway."

"Okay." Izuku gives him another smile, though he's not really feeling it. "I'll see you later, Todoroki."

Todoroki doesn't respond and simply walks past Izuku, heading for the stairs. Izuku stares after his retreating form, unsure of what to do.

Ever since the Sports Festival, Izuku has been thinking a lot about Todoroki and the tragic childhood he had spoken of. He hadn't told him much and Izuku was quite sure there had been parts he had left out but whether for Izuku's sake or his own sake, he doesn't know.

Todoroki hadn't brought it up again and Izuku knows that's not a conversation he can initiate, but he has so many questions. From what Izuku could gather, Todoroki had suffered physical abuse from his father and had been injured by his mother, though Todoroki insists she's not at fault. How long had it gone on, is it still going on? How much does the abuse extend?

Izuku remembers all the lectures he's gotten over the years from various teachers and other adults about how important it is to tell someone if he knows someone is being abused. This is the first time Izuku has met someone who seems to fit that criteria and he knows deep down that he should tell someone.

But he thinks about how Todoroki would feel if he were to do that. Would he be mad? It's not like he had told Izuku to keep quiet about it. Perhaps he _should_ initiate that conversation.

Izuku steps away from the elevator and heads outside. It's only a few minutes into his run that he remembers that Todoroki's room is on the fifth floor.

Izuku seriously wonders how that boy can be so physically active on less than two hours of sleep.

###

Shouto's legs feel like bags of bricks by the time he reaches the fifth floor. Under normal circumstances, Shouto could climb those five flights of stairs without breaking a sweat but right now isn't a normal circumstance.

He had just spent over an hour training while running on only thirty minutes of sleep.

He scolds himself for not taking the elevator. He had wanted to, but Midoriya had been standing in front of the button and Shouto just doesn't want to have to talk. Interacting with people exhausts him in ways most people don't understand. For so long, he's been alone with just his thoughts. He had spent most of his life up until now stuck in his head and it's not a habit he can break so soon.

Even if it means he has to suffer and climb five flights of stairs on worn out legs.

Shouto heads into his room and starts gathering what he needs for his shower. He still has more than two hours before he needs to be at school so he figures a longer shower can't hurt. Maybe it will wake him up a little.

As Shouto carries his belongings to the bathroom, he thinks about what he had told Midoriya earlier. He hadn't lied to him but his words had still been misleading, which probably still means he had lied to him.

Shouto's regular bedtime is nine so when his classmates' strange room contest had come to a close past midnight, he could barely keep his eyes open. Yet, despite how tired he had been, Shouto couldn't fall asleep for a whole hour.

And when he did finally fall asleep, it had only been for thirty minutes.

He blames part of it on the fact that he's in an unfamiliar place. He would blame it completely on that except he knows that his sleeping problems aren't new.

They persist at home too.

Shouto lets out a yawn as he sets his things down on the counter and turns the shower on. He turns the hot water nob halfway, but then brings it back.

He likes his showers cold.

* * *

**Hey guys! So I know it's been a while (I really try to post every couple weeks or so. I don't want this to be one of those randomly updated fics) so as an apology I wrote an extra long chapter! It's not really an apology though because it was gonna be this long anyway lol**

**I have a lot to say on this so bear with me! That first scene- now you know a bit more about Ryuunosuke and why he's so messed up. But that's not all! There's more to Ryuunosuke and Enji's past and I may or may not have hinted to it in that flashback...**

**And let's all just take a moment to feel bad for Enji. I really wanted to write some of his perspective in this chapter but I couldn't fit it in so I might try for next chapter.**

**Izuku! I have a lot to say about him- first off, I love him! He's an awesome character and he really cares about people, especially his friends. And that's why I just couldn't understand his reaction to Todoroki and his backstory in the manga. Izuku is the type to take action when he thinks someone needs help so it really bothered me that all he did was confront Endeavor and help Todoroki accept his left side. Those weren't bad actions, but I feel like he's the type to do more. He's the type to tell someone and get Todoroki real help.**

**Anyway, that's what I was trying to fix here. The Izuku in this fic isn't just gonna stand by, he's gonna do something whether Todoroki wants him to or not (you'll see his reaction later, possibly next chapter). It also helps my fic that Izuku exposing the real "Endeavor" will cause some problems later on...**

**Oh, also you can just assume that anything that happened in the manga during this time probably happened. So the room contest happened the night before, which Izuku was referencing. One of my biggest fanfiction pet peeves is when people rewrite canon scenes and they leave more than 50% of it unchanged, so I'm not doing that!**

**And Shouto! I'm really trying to get his character right and I feel like part of that is trying to accurately portray his mindset. There's a few things regarding his behavior and his thoughts that I feel like I should explain:**

**Taking his abusive and isolated childhood into consideration, I think it's likely to assume that he's very introverted and spends a lot of time in his mind. I based a lot of his introversion off of myself. I spend a lot of time in my head (due to really bad social anxiety) and coming back to "reality" even for a few seconds can be exhausting. That part about him and the elevator is based off my own experiences of being too inside my head that its exhausting to ask someone a simple favor.**

**So let me know what you thought of this chapter! I'm really trying to pick up the pace because I didn't plan for Enji's ""rescue" to take so long. My original plan was that most of the story would be about Enji and the Todorokis rebuilding their relationships so I'm trying to get there quicker now.**

**Also, I have a proposition! I don't know about you guys, but I know that I'm a sucker for fics where Endeavor is a good guy and the Todorokis are a happy family. Unfortunately, for some unknown reason, there aren't that many of them and I have yet to find one that I really like.**

**So I was thinking, why not write one myself? Obviously it would be after I finish this fic or maybe it would be a side project, but I want to know how many people would be interested. I was thinking of doing something like a rewrite of the manga as well as extra scenes (of course, it wouldn't be a word-for-word rewrite because y'all know how much I hate that). But it would focus on the Todorokis and how different each one of them would be if Endeavor hadn't been such a **** (just insert your favorite swear word there).**

**So let me know what you guys want. You can put it in the reviews, leave something in my ask box on this fic's tumblr (outofcharacter-blog), I might also make a poll on my account and you can vote there.**

**So that is all, I think. Thank you all for reading and I hope you enjoyed! Next chapter we're going back to Dabi and more of Shouto and Izuku!**

**-britishsconesahoy**


	7. Chapter 7

**Shizuoka Shimbum**

_28 August 2018_

_**"Police Apprehend Member of the Born-to-Be Villains Alliance"**_

_**by Kobayashi Naoto**_

_**MUSUTAFU**_. _On Saturday night, August 26th, the Musutafu police finally apprehended a member of the Born-to-Be Villains Alliance. Mimura Tetsuya, whose alias is "Controller," is a thirty-two year old man originally from Fukuoka. He was involved in petty crime in his early twenties and served two years in prison. After his release, he went into hiding and joined the BtB. His quirk allows him to manipulate the minds of anyone he touches. He is currently in police custody and is undergoing interrogation. He hasn't given over any information yet._

_The Born-to-Be Villains Alliance is a villain organization believed to have been created in the 1980's. They were responsible for the string of kidnappings in the late 80's and early 90's though none of the members involved were caught. The organization has remained hidden ever since and their whereabouts and actions are unknown. The arrest of Controller is the first breakthrough the police and heroes have had with this organization in over twenty years._

_More updates to follow._

_###_

Izuku normally has no trouble giving his full attention to his teachers' lectures, but today he finds his mind preoccupied. Ever since his run that morning, he had not been able to get the image of Shouto Todoroki out of his head.

While Present Mic explains the use of auxiliary verbs in English, Izuku contemplates the pros and cons of revisiting the conversation he had with Todoroki at the Sports Festival. Before telling an adult, Izuku knows it would be best to first confront Todoroki about it. He might give him more information or he might even be willing to accept Izuku's help.

Izuku copies down the formula Ectoplasm is writing on the board, but he doesn't focus on the numbers he's scribbling in his notebook. Instead, he's wondering whether Todoroki will be mad and insist for Izuku not to spill his secret. Will he have the guts to go against his friend's wishes? He understands where Todoroki is coming from, or at least he thinks he does. His home life has never been anywhere near abusive though, so there's a good chance Izuku has no idea the reasons for why Todoroki would refuse help. Is it just embarrassment? He has no reason to be ashamed. It's not like it's his fault. If Todoroki's home life is really as bad as he had made it sound, why wouldn't he want a chance to get away from it?

The decision is made by the time Aizawa's class rolls around. Izuku will bring up the subject with Todoroki later and attempt to put an end to whatever messed up things Endeavor is doing to his child.

He has an obligation to do something, Izuku tells himself. He can't just be a bystander and allow Todoroki to get hurt.

"Alright, class." Aizawa begins. Izuku is able to give him his full attention now that he's made a decision. "Earlier in the year, we talked about Pro Heroes who specialize in search and rescue. For example, heroes like Selkie who does sea rescue operations and the Wild, Wild Pussycats who do mountain rescues.

"The purpose of that was to show you that there are other needs for heroes aside from fighting villains. Not all of your quirks are suited for combat and some of you have quirks that are more beneficial for other aspects of hero work, say for example, search and rescue. Today, we'll be continuing that discussion with Pro Heroes who specialize in infiltration and undercover operations."

Izuku grins as he scribbles down some notes. He loves learning about other areas of the hero industry even though he knows that, as All Might's successor, he'll be specializing in combat and fighting villains.

"These heroes often work closely with the police and many skilled and experienced heroes can work with even higher government agencies like the Ministry of Defense and the Public Security Intelligence Agency. These heroes aren't very well-known to the general public and most of them never even make the Hero Billboard Charts.

"However, this type of hero work is essential to national security and these heroes are responsible for investigating cases related to both domestic and foreign threats. They are credited with intercepting thousands of villainous organizations and other security threats, most of which we never even hear about."

Aizawa hasn't given any specific examples yet, but Izuku's mind is quick to come up with some quirks that could fit the criteria for this type of hero work. His first thought goes to Hagakure and her invisibility quirk- she has already proven in class that her quirk is well suited for sleuthing and snooping around. Infiltrating criminal and villain organizations would be easy with her invisibility. Izuku thinks it could be the perfect use of her quirk.

That is, if she doesn't care about rankings and popularity.

"One of the Pro Heroes I'm going to use as an example is someone who probably none of you have heard of." Aizawa continues. "He was only active for about a year after he graduated from UA's Heroics Department. He was known as "The Possession Hero: Body Snatcher."

Izuku writes down the unfamiliar name, this is the first time he doesn't recognize a Pro Hero brought up in class. He's usually humble about his advanced knowledge of the hero industry but deep down, it does give him a sense of pride whenever his teachers mention something he already knows. This is a slight blow to that.

He'll have to do more research on Body Snatcher later.

"Body Snatcher's quirk allowed him to possess the body of anyone as long as he consumed some of their DNA. He used his quirk to possess villains and criminals in order to infiltrate their organizations and gain intel for the government. He was highly skilled and at the age of nineteen, he had already worked dozens of successful covert operations with both the Ministry of Defense and the Public Security Intelligence Agency."

Uraraka's hand shoots up. "Why isn't he active anymore?"

"He disappeared one night while out on patrol." Aizawa answers with no emotion in his voice. "No one has seen him since and the police have no idea what happened to him. Some suspect he was kidnapped, others say he ran off. It's been a cold case for over twenty-five years now."

His quirk is possession... "Aizawa-sensei?"

"Yes, Midoriya?"

"Is it possible he could have used his quirk to possess someone?"

Aizawa shakes his head. "The police looked into that but they couldn't find his body. When he uses his quirk, his own body goes into a comatose state and if it's neglected for too long then he'll die. Alright, moving on to the next example..."

As Aizawa continues with the lecture, Izuku's thoughts linger on Body Snatcher. It's a tragic incident and Izuku wonders if it's possible that Body Snatcher faked his own disappearance and walked out on society. Or perhaps he did possess someone and couldn't return to his body in time. Maybe his body is just missing.

He really needs to do more research on him later.

###

Up until now, Dabi had never entertained the idea of watching video footage of Endeavor or reading up on his achievements. He had never seen the videos of his father competing in the Sports Festival back when he was in UA and he had never watched any of his interviews or television appearances from before he married his mother.

Nevertheless, they aren't hard to find.

_**Todoroki Enji vs Matsuura Hiroto | 1988 UA Sports Festival**_

_**12,468,096 views**_

_Commentator: "Next up, it's Todoroki Enji of Class 1-A versus his classmate, Matsuura Hiroto!"_

_"Matsuura is forced onto the defensive as his teleportation quirk only allows him to dodge Todoroki's attacks. It's a game of cat and mouse as Todoroki tries to hit Matsuura with one of his blasts!"_

_"How long will Matsuura hold out? Will Todoroki land a hit?!_

_"Todoroki has switched tactics! He's letting his flames spread across the whole battlefield. Matsuura is running out of room to teleport!_

_"And Matsuura is out! Todoroki advances to the second round!"_

_**Todoroki Enji vs Ikeda Miyuki | 1990 UA Sports Festival**_

_**14,560,307 views**_

_Commentator: "It's the final battle between Class 3-A's Todoroki Enji fighting against Class 3-B's Ikeda Miyuki! One emits fire, the other emits water. Who will come out on top?!"_

_"Todoroki makes the first move with a strong blast of fire! Ikeda counterattacks with her water and extinguishes Todoroki's flames!_

_"Todoroki tries again, this time raising the temperature! Ikeda just increases the water flow!_

_"They've been at it now for ten minutes, each one slowly increasing the use of their quirks! Todoroki is near overheating though Ikeda is faring worse. Because her quirk feeds off the water in her body, the more she uses without drinking, the more vulnerable she is to dehydration. It's a battle of endurance now!_

_"Ikeda has passed out from dehydration! Todoroki wins this year's Sports Festival!"_

Dabi has to rewatch the videos almost a dozen times. In each battle, his father could have easily taken out each of his opponents in one single attack. It's obvious that his power and his control over his quirk were not as strong as they are now. With the level he had been at back then, even in his third year, it would have been nearly impossible for him to rise to the number two position at the mere age of twenty.

It had to have been Body Snatcher's doing. After he had possessed Enji's body, he must have overworked himself and his quirk in order to reach that level of power that would allow him to obtain the rank right below All Might. Dabi wonders if Enji can feel what his body is doing. If he can, then he would've felt everything Body Snatcher did do strengthen his quirk. The physical training could have compared to that of Shouto's, maybe even more strenuous.

There's something else though about his father's earlier days that catches Dabi's attention- his eyes. They lack the intimidation, the ambition, the fiery drive that really put meaning to his chosen name of "Endeavor." It's easy to see the difference in demeanor between the younger Endeavor and the Endeavor of today. Dabi can't just be seeing it because he knows. Everyone else should be able to see it too, shouldn't they? Does anyone else notice the change?

The next video Dabi had watched, an interview with Enji after he had won his third year Sports Festival, really raised his curiosity about how his parents had met and what their relationship had been like before Body Snatcher had crashed the party.

_**Interview with UA 3rd Year Todoroki Enji, winner of UA Sports Festival**_

_**7,490,115 views**_

_Reporter: "Todoroki, congratulations on your win! This is the second time you've gotten first place, isn't it?"_

_Enji: "Yes. I won first place as a first year. Last year, I came in second."_

Dabi watches his father closely. He's smiling at the reporter, a rare sight but Dabi thinks that maybe it hadn't been so rare back then.

_Reporter: "That's incredible! You're going to make a wonderful hero some day."_

_Enji: "Thank you."_

_Reporter: "Now, I know this might be a bit of a personal question, but there's been rumors going around that you have a girlfriend. Care to confirm for your fans?"_

Dabi frowns as his father's smile grows. It's a genuine smile, a loving smile.

It's what could've been.

_Enji: "I do. Her name's Rei and she's the most amazing girl I've ever met."_

_Reporter: "Is she training to be a hero too?"_

_Enji: "Oh, no. We met elsewhere about a year ago."_

_Reporter: "Could you tell us how you two met? Some people suspect that you saved her from villains. Is this true?"_

_Enji: "It's confidential. I can't talk about it here."_

_Reporter: "Oh, of course. I wouldn't want for you to get in trouble. Could you at least tell us whether you saved her or not?"_

Dabi knows what the reporter is trying to do, but his father doesn't fall for it. He tries to take a step back as the smiling reporter pushes the microphone closer.

_Enji: "Like I said, it's confidential. Do you have any other questions, aside from my love life?"_

After deciding he'd seen enough to prove that the real Enji Todoroki had been drastically different from the possessed Enji Todoroki, Dabi switches gears and starts to look into Body Snatcher, the villain behind his family's suffering.

_**Yamazaki Ryuunosuke vs Arioka Hideki | 1988 UA Sports Festival**_

_**3,479,266 views**_

_Commentator: "To kick off the first battle this year, we have Class 1-A's Yamazaki Ryuunosuke up against Class 1-B's Arioka Hideki!_

_"The only way Yamazaki can make a move is if he gets close enough to Arioka. Arioka's making that quite difficult though with his laser beam attacks!_

_"Yamazaki manages to dodge the lasers and land a hit on Arioka! He's bleeding, Yamazaki takes advantage of that!_

_"Arioka attempts to shoot another laser but Yamazaki just possessed his body. Yamazaki only got a little bit of blood, so he doesn't have long until he'll be forced out of Arioka!_

_"Yamazaki is running across the arena, probably planning on moving Arioka's body out of bounds as his own body lies unconscious in the middle of the ring. Will he make it before his time runs out?!_

_"Yamazaki is almost there, but he's too late! Arioka takes back control and Yamazaki returns to his body. Arioka shoots another round of lasers but Yamazaki is still disoriented from his sudden return. He can't dodge Arioka's attack!_

_"Yamazaki is down! Arioka advances to the second round!"_

The following two years, Body Snatcher had failed to make it passed the preliminary elimination rounds. His quirk is powerful, but it's a very difficult quirk to work with in battle. The next video Dabi sees gives him some more insight into why Body Snatcher may have gone off the deep end.

_**Controversy Over UA Student's "Villainous" Quirk | Japan News Network**_

_**8,416,300 views**_

_Reporter: "This year's UA Sports Festival caused some outcry when a first year hero student used his 'villainous' quirk against his opponent. The student, Yamazaki Ryuunosuke, has a possession quirk which allows him to possess the body of someone as long as he consumes some of his DNA. The amount he consumes determines how long he can inhabit the body._

_"Yamazaki used his quirk to possess his opponent, Arioka Hideki, and attempted to move him out of bounds. Unfortunately, he didn't consume enough DNA to give him enough time and he was forced out of Arioka's body before he could get him out of bounds._

_"A number of critics and protesters have come out saying that his quirk infringes on people's rights and privacy and that 'villainous quirks like his' should be illegal to use, even for law enforcement purposes. Neither UA or the Hero Public Safety Commission have made any statements or comments on the matter."_

Now Dabi knows why Body Snatcher had joined the Born-to-Be Villains Association. It doesn't justify his actions in Dabi's eyes, which he thinks is ironic because others would say similar things about him. When it comes to your own family, almost any harmful action is unjustified.

Dabi can't find much else about Body Snatcher. He had fallen off the radar about a year after his graduation from UA but while the tabloids and police have no clue as to what had happened, Dabi does. He reads the news report describing Body Snatcher's disappearance. It had happened about a month before his parents' supposed wedding date. The fact that he had been on patrol with Endeavor that night only acts as more proof for the BtB's claims.

He needs to do some research on the other members of the BtB- their numbers, their quirks, their locations. He needs to know everything he can before he can start formulating a rescue mission.

Dabi stands up from his chair, walks over to his tiny kitchen and turns on the coffee machine. It's going to be a long night.

###

_'Her name's Rei and she's the most amazing girl I've ever met.'_

_Rei smirks as she watches Enji's interview on the television. She turns to look at Enji whose sitting beside her on the couch. "Most amazing girl, huh?"_

_Enji blushes and avoids her gaze. "It's not like it's a lie."_

_"No, but you know what is a lie?"_

_"I know, I know." Enji says, finally turning to look at her. "What happened isn't confidential but I didn't think you'd want everyone to know what happened that night."_

_Rei smiles at him and kisses his cheek. "I don't. Thank you."_

Rei sighs as she rests her hand on her chin, staring out the window of her hospital room.

_What happened to you, Enji?_

**Oh my gosh! 131 followers! Thank you all so much! **

**I spent like half an hour experimenting with how to format youtube videos in writing lol! Hopefully it's not too confusing. **

**Hope you all enjoyed this chapter! It was actually pretty fun writing out all those videos.**

**Have a great weekend! Leave a review if you can!**

**-britishsconesahoy **


	8. Chapter 8

**If you already read Part I, you can skip to Part II. **

* * *

The former Number One Hero had known what he was giving up when he decided to devote his life to the public's safety. Any prospects of love, marriage, children, and even the simple pursuit of a hobby had all been thrown out the window without much of a second glance.

All Might had never looked back since then. He had slammed that window shut, pulled the curtains closed and raced off to save the world. He had looked upon his life as if it were a marathon, his body always one step ahead, always moving towards the scene of the crime.

_There's always someone in need of saving._

That's what he would tell himself when he would return to his empty house after he had been on active duty for the maximum number of hours allowed by the Public Hero Safety Commission, when the sweat from overexertion was dripping down his face and the blood from a brutal villain fight was staining his battered and torn hero costume.

There had been critics; there are always critics. All Might could have vacationed in every country in the world with the amount of times people had suggested he take a week off. His doctors had loved to lecture him about all the stress he was putting on his body, about the restful retirement he would never have because of the crippled state he was leading himself towards. All Might had never paid them much attention, though, because life was a marathon and how could he stop to think about his own life when hundreds of others were hanging on the line between life and death.

_As long as I'm still standing, I have to keep fighting._

Ever since his hero debut, All Might had been one with his work. That had been his life, his identity, his whole purpose for living. The Symbol of Peace couldn't afford any distractions. If it didn't contribute to his work as a hero, then it didn't matter.

Without heroism, All Might wouldn't know what to do with himself. It's an idea he hadn't ever toyed with before given the horror of the notion, and simply because All Might had never thought about his life after retirement. He had always known it was inevitable, the day he would caste off his hero costume for good and lay aside the name "All Might," but sometimes it had just been easier to pretend he didn't.

And now as he sits here, quirkless, supervising the students of class 1A while they train, Yagi Toshinori is having, what he thinks is, an overdue midlife crisis. He had reached the end of the marathon, but far sooner than he had anticipated. It had slowly dawned on him that, aside from choosing a successor for One For All, he hadn't really thought about what he was going to do once it all came to an end.

After his final battle at Kamino, Toshinori had spent much of the remainder of UA's summer break alone in his empty house, contemplating his life choices and the end result. He had come to the conclusion that it had been the longest amount of time he had ever remained in his own home, not that it ever really felt like a home. No pictures line the walls, no personal trinkets or souvenirs adorn the bookshelves. The house is furnished with just the bare necessities, as Toshinori had never had any time to think about interior decorating.

Besides, what's the point if you're rarely home.

He asks himself if it had been worth it. Deep down, he knows it was, but there's always that little "what if" dangling in the back of his mind. He wonders if he could've been the Symbol of Peace as well as something else. He thinks back to all the numerous families he had saved; could he have had something like that?

Toshinori sighs and checks his watch. The students still have five more minutes left but Toshinori decides to let them go early. Mr. Aizawa had mentioned something about them staying up past midnight the night before. This was their last class of the day and Toshinori knows they're counting down the seconds. Besides, with how much they've improved, he knows they deserve it.

"Alright, that's enough for today! I'm gonna let you guys out early."

He doesn't have to say it twice. The noise of twenty teenagers testing the range of their quirks dies down as they hurry to gather up their belongings and head back to their dorms. Toshinori can't help but smile as he watches them indulge in their unexpected token of luck.

"If Mr. Aizawa would have been teaching us, he probably would've made us stay for an extra five minutes." Kaminari comments as he and Kirishima pass by him.

"Yeah! Thanks, All Might!"

_All Might._

Even without his quirk and his name removed from the Hero Billboard Charts, his students still consider him a hero. He had never given much thought to what people think of him, but it leaves a warm feeling inside knowing that these future heroes can look past his present pitiful state and see the man he had once been.

Maybe it had been worth it, after all.

As Toshinori watches them all pack up, his eyes fall upon Todoroki. He's standing at a distance from everyone else and is packing his bag at, what seems to be, a very slow pace. Toshinori would even go as far to say that it's intentional, like he doesn't want to return to the dorms.

Toshinori thinks back to the beginning of the class when he had taken individual assessments of each of the students' progress on their quirks' abilities and their fighting techniques. Overall, he had been proud to see that the majority of them had made significant breakthroughs during their training at the summer camp and on their own over their summer break, and the remaining few aren't far behind. They just need a bit more time.

However, there is one student who had given Toshinori a tough time when trying to decide how to assess them.

_Todoroki Shouto._

Before this year, Toshinori had met the youngest Todoroki child only a few times. The boy had tagged along with his father, the current Number One Hero, to some events and dinners which both All Might and Endeavor had attended. Toshinori had always found it strange that only Enji's youngest would come along. In their earlier years, before Shouto had even been born, Enji's wife would occasionally accompany him. That soon stopped, however, along with rumors of a separation between the two. When questioned about the sudden disappearance of Rei from the public eye, Enji had simply stated that she had gotten ill. Whether the illness was physical or mental was left unspecified and the Flame Hero had made it clear that the issue was a private matter and he wouldn't be speaking of it anymore.

Once, a few years before the rumors had begun, Enji had brought along his eldest son, Touya, who he had introduced to Toshinori. The fourteen year old had his father's flaming red hair and turquoise eyes and had it not been for his short stature and thin build, he would've looked like an exact replica of a younger Enji. To Toshinori, the boy had looked more like a ten year old.

_"He'll be applying to UA next year." Enji said while glaring at the Number One Hero._

_Toshinori couldn't tell who looked more disappointed- Enji or Touya. While the Number Two was supposedly trying to take him down with a death stare, Touya seemed to be trying to make himself look as small as possible, which wasn't too hard given his already short stature. It was like he didn't want to be there._

_Toshinori didn't blame him, though, these things were torture enough for the adults. It puzzled him that Enji would make him come. The boy should have been at home studying or playing video games or hanging out with his friends._

_But who was he to criticize Enji's parenting? The man had raised four children while he had zero experience in child rearing. He really was in no place to judge._

_"Well, that's exciting!" Toshinori responded, shooting the eldest Todoroki child his signature smile. "I wish you luck, Touya. I'm sure you'll make a great hero someday!"_

Except that he never would.

Two months before the UA entrance exam, Todoroki Touya had disappeared. The tragedy, which had been circulating in the media for almost six months following the incident, had sparked a nationwide police investigation and search for the missing boy. He had seemingly vanished after failing to return home from school one day. There had been no leads on the case and it eventually went cold. It remains a mystery as to whether he had been kidnapped, committed suicide, or even faked his own disappearance.

Looking at Todoroki Shouto now, Toshinori wonders how much the boy remembers of his eldest brother. If he does remember the disappearance, Toshinori can't even begin to imagine how traumatic it must have been. Coupling that with his mother's apparent illness and his parents' possible separation, he wonders just how much Endeavor's children have gone through. Perhaps it would explain young Todoroki's distant and aloof personality of which Toshinori had taken notice of back when he first met the boy when he was a mere six years of age.

Todoroki's bag is now packed but he hasn't moved to leave yet. Instead, he watches his fellow classmates with a hesitant expression, his eyes bouncing back and forth between his bag and the exit. It takes a few more minutes for him to finally exit the room, though, and Toshinori doesn't overlook the reluctance in his step.

Toshinori recognizes his hesitancy. He had displayed it earlier during his quirk assessment when Toshinori had asked him if he could show him what he could do with his left side. Todoroki had agreed, but with much reluctance. It had made Toshinori want to take back what he said and tell him he didn't have to use it just yet.

Todoroki had started with igniting a small flame, barely hot enough to burn. With much concentration and tension, he had slowly let the flame grow until it reached a full fledged fire. To Toshinori, it had seemed like all his energy was being focused on controlling the flames. Before Toshinori could ask him to do anything with it, though, the boy had extinguished the fire.

_"I can only control small flames right now. A fire that size, though technically considered small, is still difficult for me to control."_

Toshinori had let the boy go after that, not wanting to question him on a topic that clearly makes him uncomfortable. One day, he knows, Todoroki will have to face whatever fear he has and learn to control his fire, but not today. He's still young and he has plenty of time ahead of him. His right side alone is far more advanced than any of his classmates' quirks, so Toshinori has no doubt that he'll be able to overcome whatever is holding him back.

That is, if whatever is holding him back is just a childish phase that he'll grow out of on his own. What if there's something about his quirk that he's not telling them? Toshinori wonders if he should mention it to Mr. Aizawa, or maybe even his father.

_Todoroki Enji._

Toshinori is conflicted in his thoughts towards the new Number One Hero. Everytime they meet, the man seems to have it out for him and Toshinori doesn't know why. He tries to be civil with him, friendly even, but either Enji doesn't take the hints or he just downright ignores them. It makes Toshinori angry sometimes. Why does he appear to hate him so much?

Of course, it hadn't always been like this. It's what makes the situation all the more confusing for Toshinori. He had first met Enji back in UA and at the time, Toshinori had thought they were friends. Something had changed, though, and Toshinori, for the life of him, could not figure out what.

_"The winner of this year's third year class is Yagi Toshinori! And that concludes this year's Sports Festival!"_

_Toshinori let the smile fade from his face as he left the arena. Having to keep grinning for the cameras and the spectators was exhausting but that's the kind of hero he chose to be, so he wasn't going to complain._

_It was hard to believe that he wouldn't be participating in another Sports Festival- high school really does fly by as they say. And yet, it wasn't too long ago that he was quirkless with no chance of participating, let alone win the whole thing. Miracles really did happen._

_Toshinori wiped the sweat from his face as if on instinct. It was one of the downsides of being a hero that no one talked about; the fact that they're always sweating whether it's from fighting, training, or even interviews. Some of the questions people come up with are crazy enough to put him into a nervous sweat._

_He's about to head inside the locker room to retrieve his things when someone turns the corner. Another student- Toshinori immediately recognizes him with his red hair and turquoise eyes. It's Todoroki Enji, a first year and the winner of his class' Sports Festival. Toshinori had watched his matches, the boy was a natural and his fire quirk was incredibly powerful. With a bit more training, Todoroki would easily become one of Japan's next top heroes._

_"Hey, Todoroki!"_

_The first year student looked up at the sound of his name, his blue eyes meeting Toshinori's. "Yeah? Yagi, right?"_

_Toshinori nodded. "Yup! I don't think we've formally met yet. I just wanted to congratulate you on your win today. I saw your fights, your quirk is impressive. I think you have a lot of potential."_

_Todoroki stuffed his hands into his pockets. "Uh, thanks, I guess. Though, I should probably be congratulating you too. Winning as a third year is more impressive, I think, considering you've all had three years of training and are practically almost Pro Heroes."_

_"Hey, don't sell yourself short! Consider your victory as a good sign for the future."_

_Todoroki leaned against the wall as he pondered Toshinori's advice, or at least Toshinori hoped he was pondering his advice._

_"You're graduating this year, right?" The first year asked and Toshinori nodded. "Do you have an agency in mind for next year?"_

_Ah, the inevitable question that all high school third years training to become heroes get asked. It's the equivalent to regular high school third years getting asked about their college plans._

_Toshinori hesitated to answer. It's not that he didn't have plans, he did, but he hadn't even told any of his classmates yet. He literally just met Todoroki, would it be rude of him to tell some random first year before telling his friends?_

_Except Todoroki wasn't just some random first year. Toshinori couldn't explain it, maybe it was because they both won their respective Sports Festivals, but Toshinori felt like would understand his decision regarding the coming year. He wasn't going the normal route most students did upon graduation and he wasn't sure how well it would be recieved by his classmates._

_"I'm actually not going to an agency next year." Toshinori finally answered. "I'm going to study abroad for a few years in the United States. I want to get some more experience before starting my career here."_

_Todoroki stayed silent for a few seconds and Toshinori realized he was holding his breath. He finds himself interested in the first year's opinion._

_"Study abroad, huh?" Todoroki folds his arms over his chest and looks down with a calculating gaze, as if he's weighing the pros and cons of Toshinori's plans. "I think it's a smart idea. Three years isn't really that much time when you think about it and eighteen really is quite young to start working as a hero. That's probably why most heroes don't make it big for a good few years or so."_

_He then looked up at Toshinori. "Do you mind if I consider that for myself when the time comes?"_

_Toshinori was taken aback, he hadn't thought Todoroki would like his idea that much let alone come up with the same reasoning that he did._

_"Sure! It's not like you have to ask my permission though."_

_Todoroki smiled and stretched out his hand. "Nice to meet you, Yagi, and good luck next year in the US."_

_Toshinori accepted the handshake. "Thanks and good luck to you too. I'm sure you'll make a fine hero some day. I look forward to working with you in the future."_

_"Same here."_

_As Todoroki turned to leave, Toshinori called out to him. "By the way, my hero name is All Might!"_

_"Endeavor!"_

_###_

Train, breakfast, school, homework, dinner, train again, sleep.

That's Shouto's basic schedule for most days, or at least, it was his schedule. Now he's standing in the common room of Heights Alliance after returning from the gym and for the first time in his life, there is no one there to dictate how he spends his night.

For a solid five minutes, Shouto just stands there in the corner of the room reveling in this new notion of freedom. He tries to be nonchalant about it, leaning against the wall with a mask of indifference plastered on his face as if the experience isn't anything new to him even though Shouto knows it's anything but.

Kaminari, Ashido, and Sero are sitting on the floor in front of the television set playing a video game Shouto has never seen before. He watches them out of the corner of his eye with feigned disinterest even though inside, his mind is doing somersaults trying to comprehend that this is a normal thing for kids his age to do during the day. He doesn't overlook the fact that Kaminari has a bag of potato chips in his lap, Ashido still has her shoes on, and Sero had just discarded his backpack and gym shirt onto the couch, seemingly minor things that Shouto wouldn't be caught dead doing in his own home.

Asui and Uraraka are sitting nearby browsing through some magazines and drinking from cans of soda. Shoji and Tokoyami are playing a game of chess (which Shouto prides himself in recognizing- it's one of the few games his father had tolerated in their house), and Yaoyorozu is reading a book with a cup of tea sitting on the table in front of her while Jirou talks beside her, though Shouto is unsure why because Yaoyorozu's attention is clearly somewhere else.

Standing there, watching his classmates go about their evening in the same way they go about every evening makes Shouto realize that he has no idea how to proceed right now. Everywhere around him, his classmates are breaking rules and doing things that he had been conditioned to avoid since his childhood. The do's and don't's in the Todoroki house had been non-negotiable and Shouto's instructions for when he had come home from school had always been strictly followed.

Remove your shoes upon entering the house, hang up your coat, put your backpack in your room where it belongs and don't leave anything lying around. Do your homework as soon as you get home so it will be completed by dinner, stay off your phone, don't turn on the TV, and don't even think about entering the kitchen before dinner because the concept of snacks doesn't exist in the Todoroki household.

The whole day, Shouto had been counting down the seconds until the end of the school day while simultaneously dreading it. He wants this, he really does, but everything is just so foreign and unfamiliar to him. His mother's words are playing in his head, _"it's normal to fear the unknown,"_ and _"everything's gonna be alright."_ He wants to believe her, to take her words to heart and try to make his own decisions, but he doesn't know if he's ready for that big of a step just yet.

He knows doing his homework isn't the only option. He does have a book he's in middle of reading and a nap before dinner doesn't sound too bad either. He is a little hungry- he hasn't eaten since lunch and that training session with All Might had taken a lot of energy out of him. He had made him use his fire, his left side which wears him out with even the smallest flame. He knows he needs to keep using it despite how exhausted it leaves him, but Shouto can't help but feel nervous everytime he activates his quirk and a spark ignites, the familiar yellow glow bringing to light some of his worst memories as it ominously dances in front of his eyes.

_Don't play with fire._

The phrase every child knows, but Shouto knows it best. He knows what it really means, he's experienced the consequences of playing with fire.

_Don't disappoint Dad._

If Shouto were to go join Kaminari, Ashido, and Sero and play with them, no one would take away his phone for the night. If Shouto were to drink a can of soda with Asui and Uraraka, no one would take away his dinner. If Shouto were to go and take a nap, no one would force him awake and make him train for the remainder of the night.

And yet, despite all that, Shouto knows his anxieties about being in unfamiliar territory will only cease if he goes upstairs to his dorm room and does his homework, like his former schedule permits him to. So with a sigh and frown, Shouto slings his backpack over his shoulder and heads towards the elevator.

_I'm sorry, Mom._

"Hey, Todoroki!"

Shouto's finger freezes in the process of pushing the elevator button as Midoriya calls his name from behind. All Shouto wants right now is to go to his room, close the door and do his algebra homework. After those last few stressful minutes of figuring out how to go about his night, Shouto doesn't have anymore mental strength to talk to people right now.

But instead of walking through the elevator doors which have just opened, Shouto turns around to face Midoriya.

"Do you need something?"

Midoriya tends to ramble, so Shouto tries to get him straight to the point. It doesn't work as well as Shouto would have hoped.

"Uh, no, not really." Midoriya responds, his voice lowering as his eyes dart around the room. "I just wanted to talk to you about something."

Shouto resists the urge to display his discontent and merely nods his heads, hoping Midoriya gets the hint and starts talking.

He doesn't.

"No, no. Not here!" He scans the room again and Shouto wonders what it is he's looking for. "Can we go outside?"

_No_.

"Sure."

Midoriya gives him a small smile but Shouto can see the worry laced through it. He doesn't know what his classmate is so nervous about but he figures he'll find out soon enough. He hopes it's just Midoriya being Midoriya. The way he gets tongue tied in some situations where Shouto is the epitome of confidence (as Midoriya had called it once) leaves him confused. Nervousness isn't something Shouto experiences often.

_You were nervous earlier with All Might_.

Shouto pushes the thought to the back of his mind. He doesn't want to think about that right now.

_You never want to think about it. Your left side- you can't ignore it forever._

Shouto tries to tune out the intrusive thoughts running through his head as he follows Midoriya outside. The courtyard is empty, the only sounds coming from the rustling of the trees in the wind. The flowers are in full bloom and the sun shines high in the sky. It would have been peaceful had Shouto not been so distraught.

"Haven't we gone far enough?" Shouto asks as they venture further away from the building. "Are you afraid of someone hearing us?"

Midoriya stops walking and glances around, the nervousness still evident in his eyes. "Yeah, sort of. I mean, I didn't think you'd want anyone to hear us."

_"Me?"_

Midoriya gives him a look that Shouto can't comprehend. It borders somewhere along pity and concern. Maybe it's both but Shouto doesn't really care. He just wants to go do his algebra homework.

"Well, what is it? What's so secret that you had to drag me out here to talk?"

Midoriya rings his fidgeting hands together and averts Shouto's gaze. "Do you remember what you told me at the Sports Festival?"

_The Sports Festival._

Shouto panicks, but it's only for a second. He composes himself, he had known this conversation was coming. He had known it the moment the words from the first conversation had come pouring out of his mouth. What had he been thinking? In all his fifteen years, Shouto had experienced no difficulty in keeping the lid shut. What had gone wrong? _What had he done?!_

And of course, Midoriya would remember. How do you _not_ remember something like that? Shouto had told him about his father- _his father!_ If this gets out, if Midoriya tells someone, his life is over. He has to fix it before things get out of control, but what if he's too late?

He's hot, so hot. His right hand instinctively raises to touch his forehead, its icy temperature doing little to combat the smoldering flames he believes are raging through his body. He had made a mistake, a major mistake. He needs to fix it before it's too late.

_I can fix this! Let me fix it!_

"I said a lot of things that day." Shouto responds, his voice not as calm as he had hoped. "You're gonna have to be a bit more specific."

Midoriya is looking at him now. His nervousness has faded and Shouto finds it difficult to stay collected in front of him. He knows what conversation is coming but he doesn't know if he'll be able to keep his emotions in check. He has to fix his mistake of telling Midoriya. It had been stupid of him to think that Midoriya would just ignore it and pretend like he doesn't know what's going on.

_I have to fix this._

"I think you know what I'm referring to, Todoroki." The green haired boy says, his eyes still fixed on him like they're trying to pull out the truth from him, but Shouto won't let them.

He _can't_ let them.

"What about it?"

"I'm only asking because I care!" There's the nervousness seeping through again. Shouto still braces himself- he knows what's coming. "You said a lot of concerning things back there. I just want you to know that I'm here for you and if you want my help, I'm glad to give it to you."

_I don't need help_. He's gotten this far, hasn't he? He's training to be a hero, he should at least be able to defend himself from his own father.

"...You mentioned some things going on at home and while you didn't give many details, it didn't sound too good. Does anyone else know about this? Maybe you can talk to Mr. Aizawa?"

_I can protect myself from his flames_. He doesn't need Midoriya. He doesn't need Mr. Aizawa.

He doesn't need _anyone!_

"Midoriya!"

The boy's frantic muttering comes to a halt as Shouto shouts his name. He can feel his quirk fighting to activate. He has to convince himself that Midoriya isn't a threat, not like his father. It's all just a simple misunderstanding, that's what he needs to make Midoriya believe. But he's already let some of his emotions slip out, so it may not be so easy.

"Midoriya," He says, calmer this time. Midoriya is staring at him with wide eyes and Shouto doesn't blame him- he hadn't been expecting the outburst either. "I appreciate your concern but I assure you, nothing is going on. My father can just be a bit hard on me sometimes and the Sports Festival was one of those times. I was upset with him and I took things too far. That's all it was. Things at home are fine."

Shouto's heart is pounding so hard, he can barely hear the words coming out of his mouth. He's sweating and while his rational side is trying to convince him it's just nerves, he insists that it's from the heat. The heat of the flames, the flames of-

"Todoroki, are you okay?"

He can't look at Midoriya right now. Shouto is an expert liar when it comes to talking about his family, but never had he flat out told anyone the truth! Midoriya is now the first person outside his immediate family to know. _He knows!_ He feels like he's betrayed his family- his mother, Fuyumi, Natsuo, _Touya_. How hard they all work to keep everything under lock and key. It's a miracle, Shouto thinks, of how far they've held out.

And he had just broke their record.

"I'm fine." Shouto mumbles, stuffing his hands into his pockets so Midoriya doesn't see the ice forming on his fingertips. "Please, just forget about what I said. Nothing's going on."

He doesn't wait for Midoriya to give him an answer. The ice on his fingertips is spreading to the rest of his hand. He needs to get to his room so he can release the rest of the tension building up inside of him. He just hopes Midoriya takes his word for it.

He can't afford to disappoint his father right now. Shouto can only imagine what he would do.

###

_So much for not making him mad._

Izuku slumps against a tree as he watches Todoroki hurry away. Not only had he made him mad, but he had made Todoroki so uncomfortable that he had activated his quirk.

He had tried to hide it, the heat radiating from his left side and the ice freezing his fingertips on his right. It had been in vain though, Izuku had taken note of it. He feels awful now. He hadn't been expecting that reaction at all.

Todoroki had been lying. Normally, Todoroki is a very good liar but today he had slipped. Izuku had seen right through it, but he hadn't bothered calling him out on it. It had been obvious that Todoroki was not going to admit to anything.

But Izuku is still stuck with a dilemma; _what to do now?_

He could still tell someone despite Todoroki's wishes. He wonders what a true friend is supposed to do in this situation. Does Todoroki even consider Izuku a friend anymore? Maybe he should go apologize.

Izuku decides against it. He should probably give him some time to burn off some steam, and quite literally too. He'll definitely keep an eye on him though.

He'll think about his dilemma some more tomorrow. Right now, he needs to let off some steam of his own. Maybe he'll go do some research on that missing pro hero Mr. Aizawa had talked about in class earlier that day.

Researching heroes always helps to take his mind off things. With a sigh, Izuku gets up from his slumped position underneath the tree and heads back inside. He barely makes it through the door though, before being bombarded by Kirishima and Ashido.

"What did you say to Todoroki, Midoriya?" Kirishima asks, looking at him like he had just killed a puppy.

"What do you mean?"

Ashido gives him a similar look and if he hadn't been feeling guilty already, he certainly does now. "He walked in here looking like he was gonna have a panick attack!"

Maybe he should go apologize, or at least check on him.

_No_.

Todoroki needs his space. Izuku is not going to try and diffuse the situation, besides, he'll probably just make it worse. Instead, he's going to go upstairs to his dorm room and dig through the internet to find more information about Body Snatcher.

"It was nothing, guys." He says, pushing past Kirishima and Ashido. "He'll be fine. We just had a disagreement."

Four hours later, Izuku had found almost nothing significant about Body Snatcher. His search had resulted in just one video of a Sports Festival match from his days at UA and a couple of follow up news reports debating on the controversy surrounding his quirk. He had also found the original newspaper article reporting the night of his disappearance and Izuku had found it interesting that he had been with Endeavor that night. However, it's nothing to go off of so Izuku dismisses any theories that would involve him.

Izuku had even read through some fanblogs and popular hero websites to see if anyone had any theories on the case. He had found that Body Snatcher isn't a big conversation topic on most blogs and sites, though it hadn't surprised Izuku. Like Aizawa had said, the pro hero had only been active for a year at the time of his disappearance.

There had only been one blog which brought up the mysterious case of Body Snatcher; _toHellwithHeroes_.

tHwH is an anonymous blog dedicated to digging up dirt on heroes and the hero industry, its purpose being to publicize the flaws in modern hero society. Some of the claims are strictly conspiracy and many of tHwH's facts are outright false, but every now and then there is a valid claim made against the heroes.

Izuku doubts that tHwH's theory about Body Snatcher falls within that last category. According to the hero hater, Body Snatcher had fallen off the deep end and joined the Born-to-Be Villains Alliance, a villain organisation Izuku had never heard of before. And that's not all, the theory goes even further to claim that Body Snatcher is using his quirk to possess pro heroes.

Izuku knows he should probably stop his investigation here, as the theories will only get more ridiculous from this point on. He's not too disappointed with his minimal findings though. He hadn't been expecting much.

Izuku is about to turn off his phone and start his homework when he gets a news notification. He skims it, intending to come back to it later when something in the headline catches his eye. It reads,_ "Police Apprehend Member of the Born-to-Be Villains Alliance."_ His finger clicks to open the full article without much of a second thought.

As he reads through it, Izuku's mind goes back to the theory he had just read on _toHellwithHeroes_. It's strangely coincidental that he hears about the organization for the first time from two different sources on the same day. He knows the theory probably isn't true but Izuku does find it interesting that the police and heroes have very little information on the BtB, a strong piece of evidence that tHwH uses to back up his claim.

Maybe he just doesn't want to believe it because it's too scary of a notion to think about. The fact that a villain could be possessing a hero, or that a hero had become a villain.

He really needs to stop reading hero conspiracy theories.

* * *

**Part I Notes:**  
**Okay, so first of all a huge apology for the major delay! School is cruel and it's been hard to find time to write (much to my dismay).**

**Now, just so you know, this isn't actually the end of this chapter (it's a long chapter) but I got this first part finished and I don't know when I'll be able to finish the rest so I figured I'd just give you guys this part for now because it's already over the average word count of most of my chapters anyway. So the next chapter will be like Chapter 8 Part II.**

**A few things I want to say about this- first off, let me remind you that this fic deviates from canon (duh) and because of that I'm making a few slight changes aside from the big obvious change involving Enji.**

**Let's start with All Might: I don't think the manga ever really goes into this aspect of All Might's life. It gives off the impression that he sacrificed a lot of himself for the greater good and I always wondered about his personal life or if he even had one. Honestly, I don't know what my actual headcanon is but for this fic, I'm gonna headcanon that his personal life and his hero life were always blurred up until now. It served my fic's purposes better, if you can tell. I'm curious though, what do you guys think about canon All Might? If I'm remembering correctly, Nana Shimura gave up her personal life in a sense by giving her son away so that she could be a hero (she didn't think she could do both). I'm not gonna judge that choice but it makes me wonder if All Might might have been influenced by her in that way.**

**And a little thing about Shouto- for this fic, his left side is even less developed than it was at this point in canon for reasons you'll see later. Hope that's cool with y'all. And don't worry, I know I kind of left you with a dangling Shouto there but he was supposed to come later in the chapter so he's not really dangling. We'll get back to him and what's going on there.**

**Enji...so he was friends with All Might back in their school days. Poor Toshinori, he's so confused! Imagine your friend just one day starts hating you with no explanation. Sound like a familiar relationship? *hint* ryuunosuke *hint***

**Sorry, I love parallels. I was actually rereading the previous chapters and I noticed so many parallels I made between different scenes and characters. I can't help myself!**

**Part II Notes:**  
**And here we have some character development for Shouto. It'll matter more later, that as well as his undeveloped left side.**

**Izuku is quite the researcher. He may or may not contribute to the rescue efforts- you'll have to just wait and see. And toHellwithHeroes...looks like somebody knows what he's talking about. And as always, his identity will not be revealed just yet.**

**And I know said Dabi would be in this chapter, but I tweaked the plot a bit so he should be in the next chapter instead.**

**So let me know your thoughts, I love hearing them! I really want to thank you guys for all your support with your favs/follows and your amazing reviews. You have no idea how much motivation they give me! I try to respond to as many of you as I can but even if I don't get to you just know that I really do appreciate it.**

**Have a great week!**

**-britishsconesahoy**


	9. Chapter 9

_August 28th_.

It was on this day, twenty-seven years ago, that Yukimura Rei had married the love of her life. It was the day Todoroki Enji had slipped the diamond ring onto her slender finger and promised to play the part of the gentleman husband.

Or so she had thought.

"You seem to have a lot on your mind, Rei."

Rei looks up to see her therapist, Kiyoko, sitting across from her. Rei doesn't mean to lose focus. She's trying to pay attention to the session, but her therapist is right- she does have a lot on her mind.

"Shouto stopped by yesterday." Rei says, not wanting to reveal what's really holding her focus hostage. She can't bear to look at Kiyoko while she skips around the truth though, so she gazes down at her hands instead. She can vaguely see the ghost of a ring on her bare finger.

"Oh, really?" Kiyoko asks, and Rei knows she's not feigning interest. "How did that go?"

"Good. Very good, actually. UA just started a new dorming system this week. I think it will be really good for him."

"I think so too." Kiyoko agrees. "That's great to hear."

Kiyoko smiles at her and Rei gives a small smile back. Her eyes try to trail back down to her hands but Rei redirects them towards her bedside window that overlooks the hospital courtyard. It's empty for the most part but Rei catches sight of a young couple sitting on a bench, their two children chasing each other across the grass. She's too far away to see their faces, but she assumes they're smiling.

_That could have been us._

"There's something else on your mind, though, isn't there? Something more troubling, perhaps?"

Rei often thinks her therapist is psychic, either that, or she's just really good at her job. Kiyoko isn't like any of her other therapists. When Rei was first admitted, the hospital staff had ignored her claims of Enji's abuse and labeled her as clinically insane- everyone except for Nakahara Kiyoko. She believed her, and not only that- she understood her.

Rei remembers first meeting Kiyoko. They hadn't been on a first name basis back then, and Rei didn't think they ever would be. She had assumed this Dr. Nakahara was like all the other therapists she had met, so she was surprised when the first words to come out of her mouth were, "I believe you."

Kiyoko had been in an abusive relationship before, so she isn't one to stay quiet when someone else might be in the same situation. Her story wasn't an exact replica- she had no children, her husband hadn't been a prominent figure in society, and she had been saved in the end by a pro hero- but it had been enough for Rei to feel a connection.

And that connection was strong enough to make her reveal the truth about what was happening behind the closed doors of the Todoroki estate.

Rei told Kiyoko about Enji's obsession with creating the ultimate quirk; the perfect balance between fire and ice. She told her how her quirk was the only thing about her that Enji took an interest in, how their sole reason for marriage was to procreate and produce a child with the quirk of his dreams. She told her about the abuse, his abuse of her and his abuse of her children. Rei told Kiyoko everything- except for one minor detail.

_That she had once loved him._

The quirk marriage had been a lie. Rei had made it up because she had been too embarrassed to admit that she had fallen in love and willingly married a monster. She had carried around that secret for nearly a decade now, and every year around this time, it got heavier to carry. Rei knew she couldn't hide it from Kiyoko for much longer, not if she wanted to make a full recovery and heal her wounds.

But not just yet.

"Kiyoko," Rei said, her mind desperate to leave the memory of her husband behind. "may I ask what your quirk is?"

"Of course." Her therapist responded, closing her notepad and placing it on the table beside her. "My quirk is a little confusing, but I'll try to explain it as best as I can. It's called Quirk Sensor. Basically, I can sense when a quirk is being used. I can also sense when something is the result of a quirk and even when someone is under the influence of a quirk. For example, if you were to make some ice, I would be able to sense that the ice was made using a quirk rather than coming about naturally."

"You have a very fascinating quirk, Kiyoko." Rei said. "Can you trace the quirk back to the user?"

"Unfortunately, no. But it would be pretty cool if I could, maybe even make it a little more useful."

Rei freezes at the comment. She wants to tell Kiyoko that the usefulness of her quirk doesn't mean anything, that her value and worth as a person is not dependent on it. But then Kiyoko smiles and laughs, and Rei remembers that her therapist is not her husband. Not everyone is obsessed with the strength and power of quirks like Japan's Number One Hero.

A part of her still wants to believe that it isn't real, that Enji is the man he had made himself out to be, but her hope is diminishing everyday. She had given Enji so many chances, way more than he deserved.

Rei looks up at Kiyoko who's sitting patiently, waiting for her response. She takes a deep breath and pushes her fears to the back of her mind.

"There's something I've never told you."

* * *

_Rei felt very grateful for the clock that hung on the wall across from her._

_At the moment, it was the only thing keeping her sane and grounding her to reality. She knew exactly how much time had passed since she awoke to find herself bound to a chair in a darkened, dusty cellar with no windows, and a door that looked too heavy for Rei to open even if it turned out to be unlocked._

_Four hours. She was sitting there, alone, for four long hours. Aside from the ticking of the clock and the creaking of the chair, the room was silent._

_She never thought she would be in this position, but then again, nobody does. Rei had been walking the same route home from school every day for the past year and a half since she started high school and nothing out of the ordinary ever happened. So when a man she'd never seen before suddenly approached her, Rei didn't think much of it._

_"Excuse me, miss," He said, shooting her a smile. "Is there a post office around here?"_

_"It's two blocks down that way." Rei answered, pointing in the direction she just came from. "It's a big white building. You can't miss it."_

_"Thank you very much."_

_The man walked past her and started heading towards the post office and Rei was about to continue on her own way when a strange feeling suddenly overcame her. She turned around to watch the man, her eyes fixated on his retreating form. Rei tried to turn back around but her eyes were stuck to this man, like some sort of magnetic attraction._

_He wasn't very far yet. She could still catch up to him, but why would she want to do that? Rei tried again to look away but her eyes refused. Something about that man intrigued her and she wanted to know more. She needed to know more._

_Rei took a hesitant step forward, her gaze still glued to the man up ahead. Did she really want to do this? Another step forward. Was she really going to just introduce herself to some random guy on the street? Two more steps forward. Why was she feeling this sudden desire for a stranger?_

_Rei was running now, panting as she tried to catch up to the man who out of nowhere just stole her heart._

_"Hey, wait up!"_

_She didn't shout very loud but he still heard her. He stopped walking and turned around, a charming smile plastered on his face. A magnetic smile that Rei couldn't look away from, not even now as the image was still etched in her memory._

_She didn't remember much after that, the events were kind of fuzzy but Rei assumed it had something to do with the man's quirk. Those feelings she was having weren't at all natural and she was almost certain that the man's quirk was responsible for it. He used it to lure her here, but she didn't know why._

_What could he gain from kidnapping her anyway?_

_Her hands were starting to get numb from the rope wrapped around her wrists. She tried pulling them free, but that did nothing to loosen them._

_Rei thought about trying to use her quirk. She remembered reading somewhere about how ice and cold temperatures could change the form or shape of certain materials but she wasn't very knowledgeable on the subject. She had no idea what kind of rope this was, nor did she know how ice would affect it. She wasn't entirely immune to her ice either, so using it without a way to warm herself up afterwards was a bad decision._

_In conclusion, she had no way of escape._

_Rei tried to suppress her tears until now, but she couldn't hold back anymore. They flowed freely down her face, her hands unable to wipe them away. The cellar was already cold when she first woke up and while it hadn't bothered her then, it was starting to bother her now._

_The fact that nothing had happened yet was a good thing, but it also meant that Rei still didn't know what was going on. She didn't know her location, her captor, or what he was planning to do with her. That alone terrified her. It could be anything, ranging from ransom to murder. Rei shuddered at the thought, but she couldn't help but keep thinking about the possibility._

_Was this the end?_

_It couldn't be. She didn't do anything yet, she didn't even finish high school! She wanted to get a job, maybe go to college, get a boyfriend, get married, raise a family. There was so much Rei still wanted to do!_

_This couldn't be the end, could it?_

* * *

"It was Enji who saved me." Rei tells Kiyoko, the memory still clear in her mind. "He came barging in there in all his flames and glory. He told me he was a hero and that he was going to get me out of there."

Rei remembers her first impression of Enji- strong, powerful- he was her saviour. She had fallen in love at first sight, no doubt about it. She couldn't blame herself though, she had been saved by a handsome hero with an incredible quirk. She was bound to at least have a crush, right?

"He brought me to the hospital and then stayed with me until my parents were able to come." Rei says, smiling at the memory. "He was very kind. I was traumatized at the time, but he tried to make me feel better. His jokes were terrible, though. Yet, even though he was busy with school he still came to visit me everyday until I was released from the hospital."

Rei tries to hold back her tears as she thinks about how their relationship began. It's such a cliche story now that she thinks about it, but she loves it nonetheless. It had to have been real. There's no way Enji faked all that, and there's certainly no way Rei wouldn't have been able to see through it had it been otherwise.

"Do you believe it was real, Rei?" Kiyoko asks, once again reading her thoughts. "Was your boyfriend the same man you married?"

Rei shakes her head no.

Something changed, Rei knows that. Something tragic happened, and she doesn't know what.

* * *

Not many people get the chance to see themselves from everyone else's perspective. It's one of two things about his quirk that Ryuunosuke finds favorable, the other being the power to become practically anyone, even the Number One Hero himself.

Ryuunosuke ponders over this fact as he looks down at his unconscious body laying on the bed, hooked up to numerous machines working to keep it alive. He doesn't come here often- he doesn't like seeing himself looking so frail and vulnerable. Ryuunosuke is content with turning a blind eye to his useless body, so long as he's able to possess one that is more powerful.

But his presence here today is necessary, unfortunately. Much to his discontent, Ryuunosuke will need to temporarily return to his body tomorrow before possessing Shouto. It's an annoying technicality with his quirk, for he cannot simply hop from one body to another.

"Parrot!"

The door to the storage room slams open quickly and the short man in question comes stumbling out, mumbling apologies for his absence. Ryuunosuke frowns at the sight of the blue haired man. Even though Parrot has been a member of the BtB long before he has, the older man is utterly useless. His quirk simply allows him to force people to say whatever he wants, but his victim must be standing within three feet from him. Manipulative, but utterly useless.

"I've been in here almost five minutes." Ryuunosuke says, his glare fixed on Parrot. "Where were you this whole time? My body can't be neglected like that."

"I apologize, Body Snatcher." The blue haired man says, his eyes looking everywhere but Ryuunosuke as he fumbles with the buttons on the machinery. "It won't happen again. I promise!"

_You've made that promise three times now just in the last month_.

It's amazing that Parrot hasn't managed to kill him yet. The man is incompetent and in Ryuunosuke's opinion, not the most loyal either. If anyone in the alliance were to betray them, Ryuunosuke has no doubt it would be Parrot. He'll have to talk to the Puppeteer about what they could do with him.

"Who's on duty tomorrow?" Ryuunosuke asks, praying it's not Parrot.

"Ah, let me see, I believe it's Matsuda."

_Thank god._ Ryuunosuke hates Matsuda with a passion- he's got a ridiculously charming smile, which he knows is because of his quirk but ridiculous nonetheless, and his presence and personality are just so over the top that it gives Ryuunosuke a headache just thinking about him. However, as irritating as he may be, Matsuda is a competent and loyal member of the BtB and Ryuunosuke knows he can trust him to take care of his body tomorrow.

"When he comes in, tell him we're bringing in Shouto tomorrow and that he should prepare my body for the transfer."

"Yes, of course!"

Ryuunosuke takes one last look at his body before leaving the room and slamming the door shut behind him. As ecstatic as he is about finally being able to possess Shouto, the thought of returning to his pitiful body, even for just a short time, is disappointing. He just hopes the process goes smoothly and with no interruptions.

**Were you always evil? I refuse to believe that a true hero could ever turn into someone so deranged like you.**

Ryuunosuke groans as Enji starts to talk to him. "I'm really not in the mood to talk right now."

**Good because I'm not in the mood to hear you speak, so just listen. Were you always like this? I can't believe that we were once really friends. You had to be acting. Was this your plan all along? Did you purposely befriend me and go to UA for those three years just so you could possess me afterwards? That seems a little bit much, don't you think.**

Ryuunosuke lets Enji ramble. His theory is wrong, Ryuunosuke actually did start out on the hero path out of the goodness of his heart but he doesn't want to give Enji the satisfaction of knowing that. So he remains silent and lets him continue with his conspiracy theories.

**So who was it? Who was able to convince you to join the other side, to become a villain? That's not something that happens overnight, Ryuunosuke. Heroes don't just suddenly shift their views so drastically. Something must have happened. Someone did something.**

**Who messed you up so bad that you felt it was justified to ruin me and my family?**

_You, Enji, it was all you._

* * *

_Ryuunosuke watched as Enji left the UA campus after school let out. He was going in the opposite direction of his house, yet again. He had been doing that for the past week._

_Normally, Ryuunosuke wouldn't care what Enji did after school, but he had an idea of where he was going and that idea didn't sit well with him._

_A week had passed since he and Enji raided a villain hideout where a kidnapped girl was being kept. Enji was able to fight off the villains and rescue the girl, but the only reason they even knew the hideout's location was because of Ryuunosuke._

_The pro hero he was interning with had assigned him to investigate and he was able to use his quirk to possess one of the villain organization's lower ranked members. After finding out the location, he told Enji and they were able to make a plan to save the girl._

_Ryuunosuke wasn't there for the raid. His quirk was good for gaining intel but when it came to fighting, he was useless. That's why he needed Enji. His fire quirk was all power, perfect for fending off the villains._

_Unfortunately, it was also perfect for getting people to like you._

_When Ryuunosuke arrived at the hospital to see how the girl was doing, he found Enji already there chatting away with her like they had been friends forever. The girl, Yukimura Rei, was a high school second-year, same as them. She had the most beautiful white hair and her grey eyes seemed to sparkle._

_Ryuunosuke was in love the second he laid eyes on her._

_He didn't get to look long though. She was way out of his league and besides, Enji already stole any chance Ryuunosuke would've had with her. He didn't bother going inside to introduce himself, the one who had made her whole rescue possible. It wouldn't matter anyway. She didn't see any of that. All she saw were bright red flames and an angel in disguise. Ryuunosuke couldn't compete with that._

_Enji had won the battle before it had even begun._

_Ryuunosuke knew Enji was visiting her at the hospital everyday. It just wasn't fair. Enji had so much already- a powerful quirk, good looks, intelligence, a prominent family, a likable personality- did he really have to have everything?_

_Couldn't he let Ryuunosuke have this one thing? Was that really too much to ask?_

_He wasn't jealous. Yamazaki Ryuunosuke was not jealous of Todoroki Enji. It was a matter of justice. It wasn't fair for only a few people to have it all. Only a small percentage of heroes make it big. That was wrong and Ryuunosuke was going to change that._

* * *

Shouta yawns as he watches the BtB hideout, or what he presumes to be their hideout. It's two in the morning and despite how tired he is, he knows he needs to stay awake. This is only the second breakthrough since the arrest of Mimura Tetsuya. He needs to stay alert.

After Mimura was arrested, the police had asked Shouta for his assistance in the investigation. Based on the little information they had on the Born-to-Be Villains' Alliance, their members possessed a range of manipulative quirks and Shouta's eraser quirk would come in handy if he were to come face to face with any of them.

He had been tasked with watching a man named Nakajima Kyosuke who is suspected by the police to be a BtB member. His registered quirk fits the profile- a quirk that allows him to force people to say anything he pleases. A rather harmless quirk and if Shouta were to encounter him in a fight, he most likely would not need to erase it.

Shouta had followed Nakajima here to this abandoned factory in the countryside three hours north of Musutafu. He had been inside for the past eight hours and Shouta had been keeping watch ever since. Aside from Nakajima entering the building, nothing else had happened and the uneventful night was putting Shouta to sleep.

He tries to keep himself awake. He should have brought some paperwork with him, he still has a mountain of his students' homework to grade. Speaking of students, All Might had pulled him aside earlier that day after he had dismissed his class. He had wanted to talk to him about Todoroki. He was concerned about his hesitancy to use his left side. Shouta had told him not to worry about it.

But now Shouta found himself worrying about it.

He had noticed it from day one- it was hard not to with Todoroki encasing his whole left side in ice. Shouta wanted to ask him about it but he never got the chance. Even after the Sports Festival, when Todoroki suddenly used his fire, he was still cautious whenever he used it. Shouta would even go as far to say that he was afraid of it.

Maybe All Might is on to something. He should probably add looking into that to his infinite to-do list.

It's nearing two-thirty in the morning when Shouta catches sight of Nakajima exiting the building. Shouta watches as he gets into his car and starts to head back in the direction he came. He debates whether he should follow him further but after a quick glance at his watch, Shouta gives in to the desire to go home and hopefully catch an hour of sleep before returning to UA.

* * *

So the long night of research Dabi had anticipated turned out to be just a few hours. Finding information on villains and the crime world is a whole lot easier when you're a villain yourself, and a pretty prominent one too. Dabi had little trouble using his criminal connections to find people who have the information he had been looking for.

It's why he's now here, camped outside the alleged home of Nakajima Kyosuke, or Parrot, who's said to be the weakest member among the BtB. His quirk allows him to make people say whatever he wants so long as they're not too far away.

In other words- not a threat to Dabi.

He's been watching the house for two hours now. According to his information, Parrot would be gone until early morning and it was now nearing dawn. Dabi's plan is to ambush him but doing it in broad daylight is a bit risky. If he doesn't show up soon, Dabi might have to pursue Plan B which would be problematic because at the moment, there is no Plan B.

Out of all the members he found information on, Parrot's quirk is the only one Dabi can easily withstand. Everyone else seems to have highly manipulative quirks which would render Dabi's fire useless if he doesn't have full control over himself. Parrot is Dabi's only chance to get the rest of the information he needs to free his father and save his brother. And not only that, but Dabi is one hundred percent certain that there is a traitor amongst the members of the BtB. The creator of the _toHellwithHeroes_ blog, while mostly false in Dabi's opinion, did not come up with that theory about Endeavor and Body Snatcher on his own. The information was either leaked through someone in the BtB, or the author is a full-fledged member himself.

And maybe Parrot will be able to shed some light on it.

It's not until a half hour later when a car pulls up and a short man with blue hair steps out. The description fits the one Dabi was given so he quietly emerges from his hiding place and approaches the man from behind. As Parrot turns down the walkway to the house, Dabi throws a blast a fire directly in his path.

Parrot jumps back and turns to look at Dabi, not bothering to mask his panic.

"Nakajima Kyosuke?"

The blue haired man glances around before answering, probably looking for more attackers. After seeing an empty street, Parrot turns back to look at Dabi, eyes widening when he suddenly recognizes who he is.

"Y-You're Dabi, from the League of Villains!" He says, putting his hands up in surrender. "Please, don't kill me. I'll do whatever you want! Please!"

Dabi increases his flames and lets them circle around the BtB member, fully enclosing him in a blue ring of fire. Parrot's panic rises, but he continues to stand still. Dabi appreciates his cooperation so far.

"I need information." Dabi says, hiding the eagerness in his voice. "Let's say, hypothetically, I were to free Endeavor from Body Snatcher's possession quirk. Tell me how to do that, and maybe I'll let you live."

And that's all it took for Parrot to spill everything. Body Snatcher's grand plan is set to commence this afternoon with Body Snatcher bringing Shouto to the BtB's headquarters under the guise of some sort of work study. Parrot had also told him the location of the hideout which is about three hours north of Musutafu. Once Body Snatcher arrives with Shouto, the Puppeteer, who Dabi had already met, will use his quirk to paralyze Shouto and tie him up with quirk-suppressant handcuffs. Once Shouto's quirk is repressed, Body Snatcher, as Endeavor, will be tied up in a similar fashion and Body Snatcher will then return to his own body before possessing Shouto. His quirks demands at least thirty minutes in his own body in between possessions. During this transition, the BtB will kill Endeavor. Parrot then went on to fully describe all the members and their quirks and how to infiltrate the hideout.

"It's a good thing I did this now." Dabi muses to himself after Parrot finishes. "If I waited even one more day, I would have lost my chance."

"So, am I free now? I swear, I told you everything there is to know. Trust me, I hate Body Snatcher just as much as you do."

Dabi stops his musing and looks at Parrot. _You hate Body Snatcher?_

"Does the name _toHellwithHeroes_ ring a bell?"

"That's me." Parrot says after some hesitation. "What about it?"

Dabi grins to himself. "Nothing. Just curious."

"So, about the deal we had..."

"Deal?" Dabi repeats as he increases the temperature of his flames. "You've been in the underworld for a long time now, Kyosuke. Surely you know how we villains operate and let me assure you, deals don't mean anything."

Dabi doesn't wait for the begging and the screams would just alert people of his presence, so he decides to bypass all that and turn his flames so hot that Parrot burns almost instantaneously until he's nothing but a mere pile of ashes. He only has a few hours now to finalize his plan and make his next move.

Things are getting real now.

* * *

Nakahara Kiyoko walks into her office after finishing her last session for the day. It's late and she should really be getting home, but she still has some more paperwork to fill out. It should only take another hour or so.

Of course, it only takes fifteen minutes for her phone to ring.

"Hello? Dr. Nakahara's office."

"Dr. Nakahara, this Todoroki Enji. I would like to meet with you tomorrow. I want to know how my wife is doing."

Rei's husband is calling her? Kiyoko had never spoken to the man before, why now? And after her most recent conversation with Rei of all things.

"Of course, Todoroki-san, though you must understand that this is all very last minute."

"I'm aware and I apologize, however, I am the Number One Hero. My schedule isn't very flexible."

A little arrogant there. If he's the Number One Hero, he should at least know how to be polite.

"Yes, I understand. I can try to fit you in tomorrow morning if that's alright?"

"That's fine."

"Great, I'll see you then."

What does he even want to know and why does he have to meet with her so soon? Rei isn't leaving anytime soon and her condition probably won't change so drastically within the next couple of weeks. Whatever he needs to talk about, Kiyoko is sure it can wait a week or two. Unless he's planning on leaving for a while which Kiyoko finds highly unlikely. He's the Number One Hero after all, he's kind of obligated to be around.

Whatever the case, this meeting is not something Kiyoko is looking forward to.

* * *

**Hello! I'm alive! Many apologies for the delay but I hope this extra long chapter makes up for it!**

**So we are at the climax which means...the rescue! It will be playing out over the course of the next few chapters so hang in there! **

**Also, I just want to thank everyone who is reading this for all your support. I really appreciate all the reviews/fav/follows. They're very motivating so keep it up!**

**P.S. If you're going to comment on the pace of this fic and how you think it's going too slow, DON'T! I am aware of the slow pace, it was intended to be like that. And the summary is written the way it was for a reason. This story is written in a way that uses a lot of dramatic irony, tension, and suspense. If you don't like that, well, I'm not forcing you to read it. So, please, don't critique on that because it was intentional. Thank you.**

**Have a great weekend!**


	10. UPDATE! PLEASE READ!

**Hello all! I'm back with an update...sort of. To put things simply, I am an idiot! I uploaded the wrong version of Chapter 9. Luckily, only three scenes are different in the final version and that's only because they include additional information, and very _significant_ information! That's actually the reason I realized my mistake because no one one commenting on these significant pieces of information. I know you guys aren't stupid so I was legitimately concerned for why no one was making the connection, so I went to double check that it was there. And that's when I realized.**

**So what I did was edit the last chapter instead of deleting and re-uploading it. The only scenes that are different are the first one and the last two, just in case you don't want to re-read the whole thing. Again, I sincerely apologize for my mistake. On the flipside though, you get more reading material? (Because let me assure you, Chapter 10 isn't ready yet. I'm trying though). **

**Anyway, go back and read Chapter 9. Also, for future reference, when I do post Chapter 10, I will delete this Chapter 10 and re-upload it with the new chapter. Basically, don't wait until this has an 11th chapter.**

**Alright, bye-bye! Let me know what you think of the new and improved Chapter 9!**


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